Andrew Liszewski

Andrew Liszewski covers gaming and consumer technology through a hardware-first lens, focusing on the specific devices and inventive setups that shape how people play and use tech every day. He is a senior news reporter at The Verge, filing frequent short stories on new gadgets, accessories, and experiments from major platforms and niche manufacturers. His work highlights unusual controllers, unexpected ways to run classic games, and compact tools that make screens, cameras, and interfaces feel more flexible and fun.

Gaming hardware and inventive ways to play

Liszewski’s gaming coverage centres on the physical kit that changes how games are controlled and displayed, rather than on reviews or industry business. In a recent piece on 8BitDo’s all-button controller, he focuses on its integrated screen that lets players customize layouts directly on the device without relying on a companion app, underscoring his interest in practical, user-facing hardware tweaks that reduce friction for players. He treats controllers and accessories as newsworthy when they offer concrete improvements in configurability and ergonomics, not just cosmetic updates.

That same emphasis on unconventional setups runs through his story on playing Doom inside Microsoft Paint, where he documents one of the strangest environments yet for the long-running shooter. The article is less about game design and more about the technical and cultural novelty of pushing old software into new, playful roles.

Taken together, his gaming pieces show a consistent focus on hacks, peripherals, and alternative interfaces that expand what counts as a gaming device.

Quirky gadgets and everyday accessories

Liszewski devotes a large share of his output to compact, offbeat gadgets that sit at the edges of mainstream consumer tech.

He covers Boox’s tiny Picco e-reader with an eye to its size and e-ink display, treating the device as an example of how reading hardware is shrinking while still chasing dedicated-use enthusiasts. In another piece, he reports on Xteink’s plans to bring back USB-C as an option for similarly small e-readers, focusing on the specific port choice and what it means for charging and connectivity. These stories show him tracking incremental, hardware-level decisions that matter to niche but engaged user communities.

His attention to unusual accessories extends to input devices and power bricks. Liszewski writes about a tiny scroll wheel mouse that doubles as a page-turning remote for smartphones, emphasizing its dual role as both a traditional pointer and a minimalist controller for reading or presentations. In a separate article, he notes that customers will soon be able to color-match their MacBook Neo chargers, turning a functional power supply into a coordinated accessory.

Across these pieces, he treats materials, form factor, and small design flourishes as news, framing even modest changes as part of a broader story about how people personalize and handle everyday tech.

He also explores hybrid gadgets like Dyson’s CameraJet toothbrush, following a street photographer who tests the brush’s built-in camera. The article sits at the intersection of personal care and imaging, and Liszewski’s approach is to document how an unlikely device can become a creative tool as well as a household appliance. This kind of coverage reinforces his focus on products that cross category lines and invite experimentation.

Consumer tech news and experimental use cases

Beyond gadgets, Liszewski handles newsy stories when hardware and platforms are used in unusual or high-stakes contexts.

He reports on Amazon losing some data permanently after drone strikes on data centres in the Persian Gulf, detailing the incident as a cloud infrastructure story with real operational consequences. The piece shows he can pivot from small devices to global-scale systems while keeping attention on the technical specifics and what they mean for reliability.

In coverage of Apple’s plans to use the iPhone 18 Pro to shoot part of a Giants vs. Dodgers baseball game, he tracks how a flagship smartphone is being pushed into broadcast-style production. The article treats the game as a testing ground for mobile camera capabilities and workflow, highlighting Apple’s willingness to use live sports as a showcase for its hardware. These stories sit alongside his gadget work, forming a pattern: he is drawn to moments where familiar devices are deployed in contexts that stress-test their design.

Franchise worlds and tech storytelling

Liszewski also writes inside established entertainment universes when technology is central to the story. His bylines appear on Star Trek coverage at The Verge, positioning him within a vertical that explores the long-running franchise’s relationship with futuristic devices and speculative interfaces.

This strand complements his hardware reporting by situating real-world gadgets and experiments alongside the fictional technologies that inform how audiences imagine the future.

Across these beats, Liszewski’s work is defined by close attention to the physical and functional details of hardware, whether it is an all-button controller, a toothbrush camera, a tiny e-reader, or the phones and servers that underpin big platform experiments. He writes concise, news-driven stories at a steady cadence, with dozens of pieces in recent months, and consistently treats even small product decisions as part of a larger narrative about how people interact with technology.