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I’m a longtime lover of pen and paper, so E Ink tablets have been intriguing to me ever since they started becoming more widely available. After having hundreds of half-filled notebooks over the years, I, at some point, turned to digital tools instead because it was just easier to store everything on my phone or laptop so I always had my most important information at my fingertips.

E Ink tablets seem to provide the best of both worlds: the tactile satisfaction of regular notebooks with many of the conveniences found in digital tools, plus easy-on-the-eyes E Ink screens. These devices have come a long way in recent years — now you can find them in multiple sizes, some have color E Ink screens and others double as full-blow ereaders with access to ebook stores and your local library’s offerings. I’ve tested out close to a dozen E Ink tablets over the past year or two to see how well they work, how convenient they really are and which are the best tablets using E Ink screens available today.

Editors note (4/25/25): It's been reported that reMarkable will raise its prices starting in May due to "increased costs." According to a report from Good E Reader, the company emailed customers to inform them of the changes. A reMarkable representative confirmed this to Engadget and provided the following statement: "We regularly review our pricing based on market conditions and operational costs. We've communicated an upcoming adjustment for the US market effective in May to provide transparency to our customers. Multiple factors influence our pricing decisions, including supply chain dynamics and overall operational costs in specific markets. We're adjusting our US pricing in May and have notified customers in advance."

Currently, it's unclear how much the prices for the reMarkable 2 and the reMarkable Paper Pro could increase following the changes. They remain our top picks for now, but we'll reassess their value after the price changes take effect and update our guide accordingly.

Table of contents

• Best E Ink tablets for 2025

• Are E Ink tablets worth it?

• What to look for in an E Ink tablet

• Other E Ink tablets we've tested

Best E Ink tablets for 2025

Are E Ink tablets worth it?

An E Ink tablet will be a worthwhile purchase to a very select group of people. If you prefer the look and feel of an e paper display to LCD panels found on traditional tablets, it makes a lot of sense. They’re also good options for those who want a more paper-like writing experience (although you can get that kind of functionality on a regular tablet with the right screen protector) or a more distraction-free device overall.

The final note is key here. Most E Ink tablets don’t run on the same operating systems as regular tablets, so you’re automatically going to be limited in what you can do. And even with those that do allow you to download traditional apps like Chrome, Instagram and Facebook, E Ink tablets are not designed to give you the best casual-browsing experience. This is mostly due to the nature of E Ink displays, which have noticeable refreshes, a lack of color and lower quality than the panels you’ll find on even the cheapest iPad.

Arguably the biggest reason why you wouldn’t want to go with an iPad (all models of which support stylus input, a plethora of reading apps, etc) is because it’s much easier to get distracted by email, social media and other Internet-related temptations. An e-reader is also worth considering if this is the case for you, but just know that most standard e-readers do not accept stylus input. If you like to make notes in the margins of books, underline and mark up PDFs and the like, an e-reader won’t cut it.

What to look for in an E Ink tablet

Latency

I discovered four main things that can really make or break your experience with an E Ink tablet during my testing; first is the writing experience. How good it is will depend a lot on the display’s refresh rate (does it refresh after every time you put pen to “paper,” so to speak?) and the stylus’ latency. Most had little to no latency, but there were some that were worse than others. Finally, you should double check before buying that your preferred E Ink tablet comes with a stylus.

Reading

The second thing to consider is the reading experience. How much will you be reading books, documents and other things on this tablet? While you can find E Ink tablets in all different sizes, most of them tend to be larger than your standard e-reader because it makes writing much easier. Having a larger display isn’t a bad thing, but it might make holding it for long periods slightly more uncomfortable. (Most e-readers are roughly the size of a paperback book, giving you a similar feeling to analog reading).

The supported file types will also make a big difference. It’s hard to make a blanket statement here because this varies so much among E Ink tablets. The TL;DR is that you’ll have a much better reading experience if you go with one made by a company that already has a history in e-book sales (i.e. Amazon or Kobo). All of the titles you bought via the Kindle or Kobo store should automatically be available to you on your Kindle or Kobo E Ink tablet. And with Kindle titles, specifically, since they are protected by DRM, it’s not necessarily the best idea to try to bring those titles over to a third-party device. Unless the tablet supports reading apps like Amazon’s Kindle or the Kobo app, you’ll be limited to supported file types, like ePUB, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, PNG and others.

Search functionality

Third, most E Ink tablets have some search features, but they can vary widely between models. You’ll want to consider how important it is to you to be able to search through all your handwritten notes and markups. I noticed that Amazon’s and Kobo’s E Ink tablets made it easy to refer back to notes made in books and files because they automatically save on which pages you took notes, made highlights and more. Searching is less standardized on E Ink tablets that have different supported file types, but their features can be quite powerful in their own right. For example, a few devices I tested supported text search in handwritten notes along with handwriting recognition, the latter of which allows you to translate your scribbles into typed text.

Sharing and connectivity

The final factor to consider is sharing and connectivity. Yes, we established that E Ink tablets can be great distraction-free devices, but most manufacturers understand that your notes and doodles aren’t created in a vacuum. You’ll likely want to access them elsewhere, and that requires some form of connectivity. All of the E Ink tablets I tried were Wi-Fi devices, and some supported cloud syncing, companion mobile apps and the ability to export notes via email so you can access them elsewhere. None of them, however, integrate directly with a digital note taking system like Evernote or OneNote, so these devices will always be somewhat supplementary if you use apps like that, too. Ultimately, you should think about what you will want to do with the documents you’ll interact with on your E Ink tablet after the tablet portion is done.

Other E Ink tablets we've tested

Lenovo Smart Paper

Lenovo made a solid E Ink tablet in the Smart Paper, but it's too pricey and too married to the company's companion cloud service to warrant a spot on our top picks list. The hardware is great, but the software isn't as flexible as those of competitors like the reMarkable 2. It has good Google Drive integration, but you must pair it with Lenovo's cloud service to really get the most use out of it — and in the UK, the service costs £9 per month for three months, which is quite expensive.

Onyx Boox Tab Ultra

The Boox Tab Ultra has a lot of the same features we like in the Note Air 2 Plus, but it’s designed to be a true, all-purpose tablet with an E Ink screen. Running Android 11 and compatible with a magnetic keyboard case, you can use it like a standard 2-in-1 laptop, albeit a low-powered one. You can browse the web, check email and even watch YouTube videos on this thing — but that doesn’t mean you should. A standard 2-in-1 laptop with a more responsive screen and better overall performance would be a better fit for most people who even have the slightest desire to have an all-in-one device. Like the rest of Onyx’s devices, the Tab Ultra is specifically for those who put reading and eye comfort above all else.

AI company Perplexity announced in February that it was building its own browser called Comet. In a recent interview with the TBPN podcast, CEO Aravind Srinivas gave some insight as to why the business appeared to be branching out from its artificial intelligence focus: It's to collect user data and sell them targeted advertisements.

"That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we want to get data even outside the app to better understand you," he said. “We plan to use all the context to build a better user profile and, maybe you know, through our discover feed we could show some ads there.”

If that all sounds familiar, it could be become Google's Chrome browser has taken a similar approach. In fact, Comet is built on Chromium, the open-source browser base from Google. That's not to say Perplexity wouldn't take the chance to go straight to the source and acquire Chrome in the aftermath of Google's recent monopoly court ruling regarding online search. In the ongoing hearings about Google and its potential sale of Chrome, Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko said he thought Perplexity would be able to continue running the browser at its current scale. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't too keen on OpenAI acquiring the property.

After (what felt like) a long delay, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have opened in the US and Canada. Nintendo finally opened up pre-orders in both regions on April 24, after previously announcing (and then retracting) an April 9 pre-order date due to tariffs. The official June 5 release date for the console remains the same, but if you signed up ahead of time on Nintendo’s site, you should have received an email that will give you access to place your order via Nintendo.

If you didn't get an email and you registered your interest with Nintendo, you're not alone. The company updated its pre-order page to say that some may not receive their pre-order email until after the June 5 launch date.

Third-party retailers also have Switch 2 pre-orders. Stores like GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, Target and others are selling the $450 console and the $500 Mario Kart World bundle. But as of right now, the console and bundle are sold out or otherwise unavailable at most retailers.

How to pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2

Along with Nintendo, third-party retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and Target opened their pre-orders on April 24 as scheduled. Best Buy, Walmart and Target pre-orders opened at midnight, while GameStop in-person and online pre-orders started at 11am. As of now, all of those retailers have either sold out of their stock, or list the console as "coming soon." We also expect the Switch 2 to be available from Amazon, but links are not live on the site yet.

At this point, we recommend signing up via Nintendo's website if you haven't already. It's free to sign up and you'll eventually get an email that will allow you to order the console, even if you have to wait until after the June 5 launch day. We will continue to update this post as time goes on with the latest Switch 2 pre-order information.

Pre-order Nintendo Switch 2

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Pre-order Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

*As of 5pm ET on Thursday, April 24, Amazon has not listed either Switch 2 console package for sale. We will update this article with direct links when they arrive, until then we're linking to the site's Nintendo-focused hub.

How to pre-order Switch 2 accessories

The Switch 2 has a number of accessories that you can buy separately. While the console didn't get a price adjustment when Nintendo announced the new pre-order date, many of these accessories did. The new Switch 2 camera now costs $55 instead of the original $50 price tag; the new Switch 2 Pro controller costs $85 instead of $80; an extra pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers will set you back $95 instead of $90 and a Joy-Con charging grip is going for $40 instead of $35. Check out Nintendo's official statement for all of the accessory price adjustments. You can pre-order most of them now.

Samsung microSD Express Card – 256GB for Nintendo Switch 2 for $60

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Joy-Con 2 bundle for $95

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Switch 2 Pro Controller for $85

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Switch 2 camera for $55

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera for $60

• Best Buy

• Target

Joy-Con 2 charging grip for $40

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) for $25

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

Switch 2 all-in-one carrying case for $85

• Nintendo

• Amazon*

• Walmart

• GameStop

• Best Buy

• Target

*As of 5pm ET on Thursday, April 24, Amazon has not listed any first-party Switch 2 accessories for sale. We will update this article with direct links when they arrive, until then we're linking to the site's Nintendo-focused hub.

More Switch 2 details

We knew from the teaser trailer for the Switch 2 that Nintendo's new hardware would be bigger and would have a new approach to the detachable Joy-Cons. The new Joy-Con 2 have a new C button, mouse controls and a built in gyroscope for tilt control. The console has a built-in mic to support a new feature called Game Chat that will let you communicate with friends in-game. The device is indeed a bit larger, with a 7.9-inch LCD screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR and a 1080p resolution.

When docked, you'll be able to play at up to 4K on your TV, and Nintendo says it improved the consoles internal speakers as well. The new dock also has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and help maintain performance during long play sessions. The Switch 2 has dual USB-C ports for charging, and the base storage amount has increased to 256GB. The Switch 2's storage can be expanded like the previous model, but it will only work with newer microSD Express cards.

Tariffs and the Nintendo Switch 2

During its most recent Direct presentation at the start of April, Nintendo showed off more of the Switch 2 than it ever had before. That included the reveal of the April 9 pre-order opening date, in addition to the original $450 starting price. Shortly after, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on China and other countries, prompting Nintendo to delay pre-orders in the US and Canada.

In a reversal, President Trump then announced a 90-day pause on steep “reciprocal” tariffs affecting 75 countries, but also announced that the tariff imposed on China will go up even further (currently, it's up to 245 percent for that country).

We now know that the original $450 price for the Switch 2 will remain the same in the US and Canada, but based on its official statement, it appears Nintendo is leaving the door open for potential future price increases.

We also know that Nintendo started moving some of its Switch console manufacturing to Vietnam in 2019. The reciprocal tariff for Vietnam was set to be 46 percent, but that appears to be on hold for now in favor of a 10 percent reciprocal tariff that’s now in effect for the 90-day pause period.

It has been speculated that Nintendo will boost production of Switch 2 consoles in Vietnam so it can stay on schedule, even if it sells the console at a loss in the short term. It appears the company will have to seriously ramp up production to keep up with Switch 2 demand: according to Nintendo, 2.2 million people entered the pre-order lottery in Japan alone, which is far more devices than it is expected to deliver in that region on launch day.

Handheld gaming systems are having a moment. While people have been gaming on the go since the halcyon days of the Game Boy, recent years have brought an avalanche of devices that let you play all sorts of games anywhere you want. But new machines seem to arrive every week, and figuring out which ones are actually worth buying can be overwhelming. You already know that the Nintendo Switch is great, but depending on your tastes, the right handheld could be a $70 emulator or an $800 portable PC. To help you narrow things down, we’ve spent months researching the best handheld gaming consoles and testing several top contenders. Here are the ones we like the most right now.

Editor’s note (4/24/2025): We have received retail units of the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, Retroid Pocket Classic and TrimUI Brick and begun the testing process for each. However, we’re starting to see more concrete effects of the Trump administration’s newly imposed tariffs and forthcoming repeal of the “de minimis” exemption for shipments from China. One retro handheld maker, Anbernic, has suspended all shipments from China to the US. Separately, Retroid has cancelled certain SKUs of its Pocket Classic for US buyers, while suggesting that US-bound packages from China will stop on April 25. Other unconfirmed reports say that AYN will temporarily pause shipments on April 25, too. (We’ve reached out to AYN to verify this but have not received a reply.) Hongkong Post has suspended mail services to the US beyond that, while DHL has paused shipments valued over $800 to US customers.

We are leaving our current picks in place for the time being, as the tensions between the Trump administration and China are still somewhat fluid. (And since these issues largely do not affect non-US users.) But if the current policies hold, it seems inevitable that retro handhelds that are manufactured and sold from China — such as the Retroid Pocket 5 and AYN Odin 2 we recommend below — will either be unpurchasable or drastically more expensive for American buyers. If this shift becomes permanent, we’ll overhaul this guide with new buying advice for those who want a device to play retro games on the go. Other top picks like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally X are still available at their usual prices for now, but we’d expect devices like those to become more expensive the longer the increased tariff rates are intact.

Table of contents

• Best gaming handhelds for 2025

• Other gaming handhelds we've tested

• What to know about the gaming handheld market

Best handheld gaming devices for 2025

Other gaming handhelds we've tested

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Note: This is a selection of noteworthy gaming handhelds we’ve tested, not a comprehensive list of everything we've ever tried.

MSI Claw 8 AI+

The original MSI Claw was a flop, but the newer Claw 8 AI+ is much more appealing if you’re willing to pay for a larger and slightly more powerful alternative to the ASUS ROG Ally X. With its Intel Core Ultra 7-258V chip and 32GB of RAM, it typically pumped out 10 to 15 percent higher frame rates than other high-end models like the Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go in our testing. Battery life is relatively strong, while its 8-inch 120Hz IPS display is plenty bright and supports VRR. There are smooth Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a built-in fingerprint sensor beyond that.

The Claw’s main issue is its price: At $1,000 after a recent price hike, it’s hard to justify over the ROG Ally X, which is already too expensive for most people. ASUS' handheld is smaller, lighter and generally more portable on top of that— though the Claw is thinner — and its Armoury Crate software, while far from perfect, is still a bit more polished than MSI’s Center M hub. There's also a smaller 7-inch version of this handheld for $829, but we haven’t tested that one yet.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Lenovo Legion Go

The Lenovo Legion Go is another capable alternative to the ASUS ROG Ally X with an even larger display. It runs on the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and offers a similar set of performance modes, but it has a mondo-sized 8.8-inch panel with a sharper 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and a higher 144Hz refresh rate. It also borrows some ideas from the Switch, including detachable controllers and a built-in kickstand for playing games in a tabletop mode. Those controllers have touchpads to make navigating Windows a little easier, something the ROG Ally X lacks.

But it’s still a Windows handheld, and Lenovo’s software tweaks aren’t as intuitive as what ASUS has done with Armoury Crate, so the UX can feel half-baked by comparison. The jumbo design is bulkier and heavier than the ROG Ally X, so some will find it too fatiguing to hold. Its fans are louder as well, plus the display lacks VRR. Lenovo teased a Legion Go 2 at CES earlier this year, though it hasn't shared a release date or pricing details as of our latest update.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows version)

The Lenovo Legion Go S has a relatively comfortable design and a commendable 8-inch 120Hz display, but its performance lags too far behind the ROG Ally X, Claw 8 AI+ and original Legion Go for a device priced at $730. Windows is still as clunky as ever, too. We’re more excited to test the SteamOS version that’s scheduled to arrive in May, as that should be one of the first non-Valve devices to utilize the Steam Deck’s software.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Ayaneo Flip DS

The Ayaneo Flip DS is a cool concept: a powerful Windows machine with a clamshell design and dual displays, sort of like a supercharged Nintendo DS. It feels sturdy, it performs roughly on par with the other Ryzen 7 7840U (or 8840U) handhelds in this guide, and its 7-inch top display is sharp, fast and bright. The second screen makes it a natural fit for emulating Wii U or 3DS games, but you could also, say, look up a guide or play a YouTube video without having to close whatever you’re playing. 

Unfortunately, this is more of a neat idea than a fully thought-out product. The folding design means that the joysticks have to be short and recessed, while the face buttons and d-pad are uncomfortably flat. The whole thing is overly thick and heavy, plus it runs very hot. Battery life tops out around two hours, and actually managing two displays on a Windows handheld is about as clunky as you'd expect. With prices starting above $800, the Flip DS is hard to recommend unless you’re (oddly) desperate for a handheld Wii U emulator. We're always happy to see more weird hardware, though.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

Ayaneo Kun

The Ayaneo Kun is among the most decadent Windows handhelds we’ve tested. With a sharp 8.4-inch display, a Ryzen 7 8840U chip, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 4TB of storage, a sizable 75Wh battery and a 54W max TDP, it’s both a capable gaming device and a feasible replacement for a desktop PC. But it costs well over $1,000, it’s huge and it suffers from the usual Windows-related issues. It also lacks VRR. It’s still a fine device if money is truly no object, but it’s more handheld than most need. The ROG Ally X is a much better value. This is technically an older model for Ayaneo, too, as the company seems to launch a new handheld every other hour these days.

Ayaneo 2S

The Ayaneo 2S is another high-power Windows handheld with a sharper display and higher configuration options than the ROG Ally X. It also uses the same chip as the Kun above. But it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and costs a few hundred dollars extra. Ayaneo announced a decked-out successor called the Ayaneo 3 toward the end of 2024; we'll try to test that one out when it becomes widely available. 

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

Retroid Pocket Mini

The Retroid Pocket Mini is essentially a smaller version of the Retroid Pocket 5. It runs on the same Snapdragon 865 chip and feels just as sturdy, but it has a smaller 3.7-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This makes it a more natural fit for older retro consoles, as you won’t get the black boxes you’d see on a 16:9 display like the one on the Pocket 5. If you mainly want to emulate systems like the SNES, Sega Genesis or Game Boy Color and don’t mind paying extra for a rich OLED display, it’s a good little device. But the tiny screen is limiting if you ever want to play newer games, and we wish there wasn't so much empty space around the display. 

This device has also generated some controversy within the retro gaming community for having persistent issues with inaccurate shaders (and for the slapdash way Retroid has handled the matter). That shouldn't be a dealbreaker for most people, but those who prefer to use effects like those should look elsewhere. 

Retroid Pocket 4 Pro and Retroid Pocket 4

The 4.7-inch Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the predecessor to the Pocket 5. Its performance isn’t significantly far off the newer model, so it remains a nice value if you’re determined to spend less than $200 on an emulation device. It misses out on the larger OLED display and more ergonomically-friendly design of its follow-up, however. The base Pocket 4 may also be worth a look if you want to stay under $150, but its weaker chip makes it less adept at emulating games from the PS2, GameCube and up.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Miyoo Mini Plus

The Miyoo Mini Plus is a highly affordable handheld with a well-built, Game Boy-style form factor that fits nicely with older games. Its 3.5-inch display really pops for something in the $60 to $80 range, its battery lasts as long as it needs to and it can emulate consoles up to the original PlayStation without much issue. Its Linux-based software is extensively customizable, though it requires some tinkering to get it working optimally. Like many cheapo handhelds, it also lacks fast charging. Still, of the many Game Boy-like emulation devices floating around the budget end of the market, it’s the one we’d recommend first. Since it’s from a smaller Chinese firm and isn’t available at major retailers, however, it can be difficult to actually buy.

Anbernic RG35XX Plus

The Anbernic RG35XX Plus is another wallet-friendly vertical handheld — or at least, it was before Anbernic paused shipments to the US. For about the same price as the Miyoo Mini Plus, it offers a faster chipset, more RAM and a bigger battery alongside a similarly impressive design. Its stock OS is overly sloppy and cheap-looking, however, and while the stronger processor is nice, the small screen and lack of analog sticks means you won’t want to emulate much beyond the PS1 anyway.

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

Anbernic RG35XXSP

The Anbernic RG35XXSP is a variant of the RG35XX Plus based on the same internals, only it apes the clamshell form factor of the old Game Boy Advance SP. That’s a great design to rip off if you must pick one, and the hardware doesn’t feel nearly as cheap as its (pre-tariff) price tag of $60 or so would suggest. But the software issues noted above still apply (both here and with the many other devices in the same RGXX family). We’ve also seen several user reports of quality control issues with the RG35XXSP’s battery, which is automatically disqualifying.

Anbernic RG405M

The Anbernic RG405M is another 4:3 handheld with a 4-inch display and a pleasing metal frame. It's an OK alternative to the Retroid Pocket Mini if you want a little more screen space for less cash, but it’s slower, and it lacks the Mini’s OLED display. We find the Retroid’s grooved back to be comfier to hold over time as well. And again, Anbernic has paused handheld shipments to America as of this writing.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

PlayStation Portal

The PlayStation Portal is an odd accessory that’s designed to stream games from a PlayStation 5. It lacks built-in apps, so it doesn’t support traditional emulation. Because it’s entirely dependent on the quality of your home Wi-Fi, we can’t guarantee how well it’ll actually perform. It doesn’t work with Bluetooth earbuds either. 

The 8-inch display is fine and the DualSense-style controls are great, so PlayStation diehards who want a second screen for local PS5 streaming may see the appeal. Sony recently added the ability to stream a selection of games via the cloud, which is a step in the right direction, but you need an expensive PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to take advantage. In general, there’s little here that you can’t do with a smartphone and mobile game controller, so most people are better off saving their $200.

Logitech G Cloud

The Logitech G Cloud would’ve been a great Android pick when it launched if it cost about $150 less. Its 7-inch 1080p display is bright, vibrant and generally more pleasing to look at than the panel on the AYN Odin 2, its battery lasts a good 10 to 12 hours per charge and its design is comfy to hold for hours at a time. Alas, the G Cloud still tends to cost between $260 and $300, which is just too much when the Retroid Pocket 5 offers more power at a lower price.

What to know about the gaming handheld market

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

You can break down the gaming handheld market into three broad tiers. At the top, you have x86-based portable gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally X. These are the most powerful handhelds you can buy, as they seek to replicate the experience of a moderately specced gaming desktop. The Steam Deck runs on the Linux operating system, but most others use Windows. If you want to play modern, recently released PC games on the go (and need something stronger than a Switch), this is the type of device you’d get. They can also emulate the widest range of retro consoles. They’re typically the largest and most cumbersome devices to hold, however, and their battery life can be short. Naturally, they’re also the most expensive, costing anywhere from $400 to more than $1,000.

Further down on the price spectrum are "mobile handhelds" like the Logitech G Cloud or Retroid Pocket. These devices often run Android or Linux and can range from under $50 to $400-ish. They aren’t equipped to play modern console or PC titles, but they’re usually more compact than a portable PC, and you can still use them for mobile games and cloud streaming. While most are marketed toward those ends, many gamers actually buy them to emulate classic games through software like RetroArch. Getting emulators to work can be complicated, and accessing the BIOS and ROM files required to play games this way is legally murky. One lawsuit from Nintendo recently led to the shutdown of the most prominent Switch and 3DS emulators, for instance. (Engadget does not condone piracy.) Backing up files of games you already own for personal use only is considered more defensible, though, so for that a mobile handheld can be a more user- and wallet-friendly way to play the classics — provided you don’t want to just use your phone.

We’ll call the last tier “handhelds that do their own thing.” This is a catch-all for things like the Switch or Playdate: portable devices that run heavily customized software and aim to provide a unique gaming experience. They aren’t necessarily ideal for emulation or playing the latest multiplatform titles; instead, they often have distinct game libraries. They might not have the widest appeal as a result (Switch excluded), but they’re often easier for less tech-literate folks to just pick up and use.

Recent updates

March 2025: We’ve edited this guide for clarity and added testing notes for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows version). Our main picks are unchanged. Looking ahead, we’re keeping an eye on upcoming Windows handhelds from Acer and Ayaneo, a pair of new emulation devices from Retroid, the first third-party devices to ship with SteamOS and more machines that run on AMD’s Ryzen Z2 chips, among others. 

January 2025: We have a new top pick among emulation-focused handhelds: the Retroid Pocket 5. Beyond that, we’ve added notes on a few other devices we’ve tested, including the Retroid Pocket Mini and Anbernic RG35XXSP; lightly edited other blurbs to reflect changes in the market; and removed a couple write-ups for products that’ve been discontinued. We're also keeping an eye on new handhelds that’ve recently been announced or are strongly rumored to arrive in the near future, including devices from MSI and Lenovo.

August 2024: We’ve replaced the ASUS ROG Ally, our prior pick for the best Windows gaming handheld, with the new and improved ROG Ally X. We’ve also checked to make sure all availability and pricing details noted throughout the guide are accurate.

June 2024: We’ve updated this guide to ensure all of our recommendations are up to date, adding a note on ASUS’ upcoming ROG Ally X in the process. We’ve also included details on two new handhelds we’ve tested since our previous update: the MSI Claw and Ayaneo Flip DS. Staying on top of this market is a tall task, but we’re currently looking at recent noteworthy releases like the PSP-esque AYN Odin 2 Mini and the GBA-style Anbernic RG35XXSP as well.

Remedy's first foray into co-op shooters, FBC: Firebreak, is officially launching on June 17. Following employees tasked with cleaning up The Oldest House, the mysterious headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control, the game balances team-based action with the supernatural abilities and enemies that made Control so interesting. 

In our preview of the game, the biggest and most positive point of comparison for Firebreak''s chaotic action was Left 4 Dead, but the game's unique collection of "jobs" (Remedy's name for missions) includes plenty of weirder tasks, too, like dealing with ominously multiplying sticky notes. Remedy plans to support Firebreak with new jobs after launch and into 2026. All new playable content will be for free, save for cosmetics, which Remedy plans to charge for.

The developer originally announced it was making a multiplayer game set in the Control universe in 2021, when the game was still being published by 505 Games. Following the success of Alan Wake II, Remedy acquired the rights to the entire Control franchise from 505 Games in 2024.

FBC: Firebreak will be available on June 17 for $39.99 on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC. A $49.99 "deluxe edition" will also be available with exclusive cosmetics. If you subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra, you'll be able to download and play the game for no additional cost.

We still think getting a live TV streaming service is a better deal than paying for cable — but the gulf between the two options is narrowing. Now that many of the major providers go for more than $80 per month, it’s not the amazing deal it once was. Still, live TV streaming plans have no contract, offer relatively simpler pricing and need no special equipment beyond a smart TV and an internet connection. There are a handful of major players and, after testing them all, we found YouTube TV to be the most well-rounded. But other services have their advantages, too, and there are plenty of free services as well. Here are the best live TV streaming services we tested, along with our breakdowns of how to stream and what you get.

Table of contents

• Best live TV streaming services for 2025

• Best free live TV streaming services for 2025

• What to look for in a live TV streaming service

• How we tested

• Live TV Streaming FAQs

• Recent updates

Best live TV streaming services for 2025

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Best free live TV streaming services for 2025

There are plenty of ways to get free TV these days. To start, many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. You’re paying for the service, so it’s not technically “free,” but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, and notably access to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service, along with cable-like linear channels.

The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazon’s Fire TV interface has a live tab and Roku’s built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus, which added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup in 2024. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels — even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage. 

But for a full suite of live TV networks, and don’t want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Even cable company DirecTV has joined the crowd with MyFree, and Fubo Free lets customers with a lapsed subscription keep watching some content. Here's the best of the live TV streaming services we tried:

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What to look for in a live TV streaming service

How to stream live TV

Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices.

Monthly Price

When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app. Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks — particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices.

Local channels

Only two of the services I tried don’t include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, it’s the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations — and only in larger markets — but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels.

When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, you’ll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your area’s broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna, you’ll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era.

Live sports coverage

One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the “TV & streaming” button will tell you which network is covering it.

That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply don’t have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations, and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates.

I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. Thursday Night Football as well as NBA and WNBA games are on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football aired on Netflix. Max (formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on. You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games. Roku users can watch the just-added free sports channel and those who subscribe to Paramount Plus can see many of the matches aired on CBS Sports, including live NFL games. This year, even the Super Bowl was live-streamed for free on Tubi. While all of these alternatives may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, they could end up being cheaper avenues to the sports you want.

And if sports is all you’re after, there are sports-only plans that are a touch cheaper too. While the promised sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. called Venu was cancelled early this year, shortly after, DirecTV announced a $70-per-month, sports-only streaming package called MySports and Comcast now has a sports and news bundle for the same price (as long as you're an Xfinity customer with auto-pay, otherwise it's more expensive).

Traditional cable networks

Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you won’t have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.

Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels ad-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them — and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly.

On-demand streaming

Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesn’t cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BET’s Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play.

Partnerships, like Hulu’s relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all you’re after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper.

Digital video recordings (DVR) limits

Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. You’ll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or you’ll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events.

Aside from being able to watch whenever it’s most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you can’t skip them on live TV or VOD.

Simultaneous streams and profiles per account

Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISP’s bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens.

Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations.

Picture-in-picture mode and multiview

Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you're using an Apple TV or Roku streaming device.

4K live streams

Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams — but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on, after which you’ll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content — one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You don’t have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTV’s Gemini receiver, or a device from Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. You’ll need those same streaming devices to watch the select 4K programming on Sling as well. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan.

Of course, watching any 4K content also requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cord and screen that can handle 4K resolution.

Tiers, packages and add-ons

Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I… made three. The base plans range from $28 to $85 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose.

How to stream live TV for free

I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV (FAST) including Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV and Sling Freestream. These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most don’t even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel, the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV.

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How we tested

When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of the top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons.

I then looked at how the programming was organized in each app’s UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town.

I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks.

All live TV streaming services we’ve tested:

• Philo

• Sling

• YouTube TV

• Hulu + Live TV

• DirecTV Stream

• FuboTV

• Freevee

• Tubi

• PlutoTV

• Sling Freestream

• Plex

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Live TV Streaming FAQs

What is live streaming?

Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen.

What is the difference between streaming and live streaming?

Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. It’s also referred to as “video on demand.” Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming.

What streaming service is best for live TV?

FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer.

What is the most cost effective TV streaming service?

Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they won’t have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so you’re not paying for stuff you don’t need.

Is it cheaper to have cable or streaming?

A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, that’s no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service.

What streaming service has all the TV channels?

No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen. Hulu’s service also gets you Disney+ fare, which you can’t get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons.

What is the most popular live TV streaming platform?

YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to 2024's letter from the CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disney’s 2024 third quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Sling’s customer count dipped from two million to about 1.9 million in 2024 and FuboTV grew its subscriber list to 1.6 million.

How safe are free streaming services and websites?

You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. That’s likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series — which can come bundled with malicious code.

But if you’re talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes don’t even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials.

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Recent updates

January 31, 2025: Added information about which streaming service would live-stream the Super Bowl, including Tubi’s free option. Updated Fubo’s pricing. Added details about DirectTV Stream’s sports-only package and Comcast’s sports and news bundle.

January 16, 2025: Included higher prices for Sling’s Orange and Blue plans. Noted the demise of the never-launched Venu sports streaming service and mentioned the inclusion of DirecTV’s new sports package.

December 31, 2024: Noted increased pricing for YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV and DirecTV. Updated information for 4K streaming capabilities and requirements for multiple services. Reported on the upcoming shut down of Amazon’s Freevee service and the addition of DirecTV’s free service.

August 6, 2024: Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN's new sports-only streaming service, Venu. 

June 12, 2024: Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly.

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Back when Meta first introduced its Twitter competitor Threads, many noted that the company had failed to secure the threads.com domain and instead launched the website at threads.net. At the time, the Threads dot com domain belonged to a messaging app startup that said it was reluctant to rebrand its business.

But that startup was later acquired by Shopify and Meta did eventually acquire the coveted threads.com domain for an undisclosed amount. Now, Meta is finally moving Threads’ website to threads.com, and adding some much needed functionality to the web version of Threads.

The update adds a new composer that pops up in its own window so you can continue to browse your feeds as you type out a new post. It also allows you to scroll your various custom feeds in a single-column view (much like Threads’ mobile app), and finally adds a menu shortcut for saved posts. (Previously, the only way to view saved posts on web was to add it as a pinned column.)

Screenshot via Threads

Meta is also stepping up its efforts to lure users directly from X. The company says it’s testing a new feature that allows users to upload a list of people they follow on X and find the corresponding accounts on Threads. The feature, currently labeled as being in “beta,” sounds a bit clunky according to Meta’s in-app description. It notes that downloading data from X can take as long as three days, so it’s not exactly a simple process. But in addition to giving users a way to find familiar accounts on Threads, it could also give Meta some valuable insight into users’ habits on other platforms.

Razer has unveiled two new iterations of its Pro Click mouse with an eye toward comfort. The Pro Click V2 is a standard mouse model, while the Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition is the first vertical mouse design from the company. More and more peripheral manufacturers are offering vertical designs, which can be a more ergonomic mouse option, particularly if you experience discomfort when spending long stretches at a computer.

The Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition has eight programmable buttons and promises a battery life of up to six months. It has a 71.7 degree tilt, so a user holds it in a handshake-like grip, which can reduce strain for long use sessions. There's also a support on the base that aims to cut down on wrist friction. This model retails for $120. 

The standard Pro Click V2 model costs $100. It has an additional ninth button but its battery life is only up to 3.5 months. It has a slight angle of 30 degrees for a more natural grip. 

RGB lighting has long been a hallmark of Razer's products, and whether you love it or love to hate it, that colorful visual signature is present on both mice.

The joint ESA and NASA Solar Orbiter mission has delivered a stunning new image of the Sun and its corona. The sun-observing satellite originally launched in 2020, and besides making the Sun look cool, the data it's captured has impacted things like our understanding of solar wind.

Today's photo shows off the spun-sugar-like particles caught in the magnetic field of the Sun's atmosphere, the dark "filaments" of cooler material weaving their way in between and bursting active areas that emit solar flares. The ESA says the photo is technically a composite of 200 separate images taken with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager, around 77 million km from the Sun. The EUI allows the traditionally unobservable parts of the Sun's atmosphere or corona to be visible in photographs.

ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/EUI Team, E. Kraaikamp (ROB)

Solar Orbiter has regularly provided a clear look at our closest star, and even offered insights into Venus as it made its way to its current position observing the Sun. For more details on the image, and interactive labels explaining the different regions of the Sun, check out the ESA website. 

Meta is finally acknowledging that Facebook’s feed is filled with too many spammy posts. In an update, the company says it plans to start “cracking down” on some of the worst offenders. “Facebook Feed doesn’t always serve up fresh, engaging posts that you consistently enjoy,” the company writes. “We’re working on it.”

Specifically, Meta says it will lower the reach of creators that share posts with "long, distracting captions” as well as posts with captions that are irrelevant or unrelated to the shared content. These accounts will also no longer be eligible for monetization. Likewise, the company says it’s taking “more aggressive” steps to combat “spam networks that coordinate fake engagement.” This includes making comments from these accounts less visible, and removing Facebook pages meant to “inflate reach.” Meta is also testing a feature that allows users to anonymously downvote comments in order to flag them as not “useful.”

The update comes as Meta is trying to revamp Facebook to make it more appealing to “young adults.” The company recently brought back a tab for friends content, in an update Mark Zuckerberg described as making the platform more like “OG Facebook.” Notably though, Meta’s update doesn’t mention one of the more persistent forms of engagement bait that’s emerged on Facebook over the last year: AI slop.

The phenomenon, which has been extensively documented by 404 Media, involved bizarre, often nonsensical AI-generated images — like the now infamous “Shrimp Jesus” — that serve little purpose other than to farm engagement for people trying to make money on or off Facebook. These spammers are often aided by Facebook’s own algorithm, which boosts the posts, researchers have found.

AI slop and engagement bait aren’t the only types of low-quality posts that have overwhelmed users’ Facebook feeds in recent years. I regularly see posts from pages that seem to do nothing but screenshot old Reddit posts from r/AITA, or recycle old news about celebrities I don’t follow or particularly care about. Meta’s reports on the most widely-viewed content on its platform regularly feature anodyne posts that are engineered to rack up millions of comments, like those that ask users to comment “amen” or solve basic math equations. Posts like that may not fit neatly into Meta’s latest crackdown, though it’s unlikely many Facebook users are actually enjoying this content.

The company does note it’s also trying to “elevate” the creators that are actually sharing original content, including by cracking down on accounts that steal their work. But given how much easier it is to make AI slop than good original content, it could be a long time before Meta is able to get Facebook’s spam problem under control.