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The Nintendo headlines have been overrun with the fear of price hikes and potential new pre-order date rumors, but we are taking a short and sweet reprieve in the form of the official Mario Kart World Direct showcase today. As we reported shortly after the game’s debut, Nintendo has had an official, dedicated Direct show set for weeks and today is the day.
Nintendo hosted its latest Direct showcase today – it was (mostly) good times all around, with a closer look at the big Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World. But after all of the sweet wall riding, drive-thru costume pickups, Mega Mushrooms, and gigantic P-Switches, there’s still no pre-order date and I couldn’t help buy be fixated on the fact that the new Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle is actually a limited-run offer.
The internet is ablaze with theories and rumors then the new Switch 2 pre-order date will land, but another far better and more reliable date has now surfaced. Yesterday April 30 was spotted hidden within some Target wishlist data, and then an April 23 date in Canada surfaced suggesting we could see the same in the U.S., but now a reliable leaker is targeting a third date.
Everything you need to know about Nintendo Switch 2 has been collected into one handy guide for you below. Nintendo’s next-generation console will hit store shelves later this year some time after the scheduled and dedicated Switch 2 Direct showcase on April 2. While we will have to wait until then before we get an official word on price, pre-order details, and hopefully some information on the launch/window games, there’s a ton of information already out there that Nintendo hasn’t given up just yet and you’ll find it all waiting down below.
Here we go again folks, it looks like we might have a new pre-order date for Nintendo Switch 2 in Canada – this might very well indicate what we see here in the U.S. too. Pre-orders were still set to go live in Canada after they were delayed in the U.S. only to have Nintendo confirm that it wants to have the pre-sale begin at the same time north of border and delayed those too. But a new, typically reliable source is suggesting Canadian pre-orders could go live next Wednesday.
Update: After just about all signs pointed to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered dropping some time in late April and as soon as next week, reports are now suggesting that Xbox support is allegedly claiming it will release on Monday. This could be a mistake, but users reaching out to Xbox support were told it is releasing on April 21, 2025 release date.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remake is real, it’s likely releasing very soon, and we have the first leaked images down below. At this point, we have all patently awaiting an official remade return to the province of Cyrodiil for more or less years now, and here it is.
We’re halfway through April, with all the latest LEGO releases for this month officially out and on the shelves and today, coming out of headquarters in Billund, Denmark, the LEGO Group is announcing the new wave of building sets ahead of the company’s upcoming May the 4th celebrations. Alongside these new sets – six out of nine even being opened for preorder – we’re also getting the bonus intel on what exclusive experiences fans can expect at the LEGO Star Wars booth as part of this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Japan from April 18-20, 2025, as well as a fun LEGO Ideas opportunity. Head below to find out more info and to check out the photos we’ve collected.
NVIDIA is adding three new graphics cards to its RTX 50-series desktop GPU family today – RTX 5060, RTX 5060 Ti with 8GB VRAM, and the 16GB RTX 5060 Ti model. These new graphics cards will join the existing cards in the brand’s RTX 50-series, and both the RTX 5060 Ti models start shipping as early as tomorrow. The prices for these new graphics cards start at $299, making them a great choice for gamers who are looking to game on a budget. Head below for a closer look and some more details.
Arc has been among the more popular options around here for folks looking for its special brand of stylish, unique, and ultra minimalist iPhone bumper case solutions, but today it is stepping outside the smartphone space for the first time with its all-new Arc Pulse for AirPods Pro 2 (it also works with AirPods Pro 1). Pre-orders are now live and you can get more details below.
The new Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date might have been leaked by Target, but there is something suspect about this time and date. Nintendo was initially scheduled to start taking pre-orders in the U.S. on April 9 before it officially announced a delay to give it time to assess the potential impact of Trump’s tariffs that were announced just hours after. We are still awaiting official word from Nintendo for the new date, but Target might have just given us an idea of when this could happen…maybe.
Update: 4/16: Nintendo has now confirmed tomorrow’s Mario Kart World Direct showcase will be a relatively short and sweet 15-minute broadcast.
With the full official reveal of Nintendo Switch 2, the release date, the announced $450 starting price, and the debacle that immediately followed after pre-orders were officially delayed in the U.S. (and Canada), one thing that might have raced under your radar was this week’s official Mario Kart World Direct showcase. It has been a busy couple weeks for Nintendo to say the least, and while it officially debuted the new Mario Kart game during the Switch 2 Direct alongside some Treehouse gameplay footage thereafter, it still has more to show us on the keystone Switch 2 launch game and it is set to go live later this week.
Sony has now announced an official price increase on PlayStation 5 in Europe and elsewhere. While the U.S. remains safe (for now anyway), the value on that new Astro Bot bundle is looking better and better everyday.
The official debut of Nintendo Switch 2 has been a tumultuous one, rife with emotional highs and lows – some might even suggest Nintendo has thus far botched what was widely expected to be the biggest console launch in history. I’m going to give it about as much of a temporary pass on the disastrous pre-order situation as the rest of the world is getting on Trump tax, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that Nintendo has managed to go from delivering what was the most affordable console gaming platform to one of the most expensive in a matter of weeks.
As we all know by now, the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order situation in the U.S. is still in flux (a bit of a mess really). They were supposed to start on April 9 ahead of the June 5 release date, but after Trump started with the new tariff shenanigans, Nintendo decided it needed to re-asses the situation before it began taking pre-orders on its new console. And while Nintendo is still yet to make an official announcement on how or when pre-orders will go live, it has officially made mention that invitations to get one will start on May 8 and is still sticking by it.
The Switch 2 situation is well, a situation. We all know Trump has now, at least temporarily, backpedaled on some of the new tariff levies directly affecting the pre-order and likely launch of Switch 2. This prompted financial analysis firms to present a potential price hike situation only to they themselves course correct the supposedly incorrect deductions of this data to suggest it is unlikely we see major price hikes on Switch 2 at launch. This sounds like good news to me and a recent report courtesy of Bloomberg suggests Nintendo has been stockpiling Switch 2 units in the U.S. for months now to help soften the blow Trump might (will likely) have on its bottom line.
Folks rocking a MacBook or PC with Thunderbolt 5 now have another way to tap into the raw performance there with UGREEN’s new SSD enclosure. As with UGREEN’s other units, this offering boasts an aluminum construction that should help dissipate the heat that is typically generated when NVMe SSDs are pushed to their limits. There’s also a silicone cover help keep it protected from drops, scratches, and the like. Continue reading for additional details.
Back at the top of the year during CES 2025, Samsung unleashed its all-new The Frame Pro. A new, next-generation release to join the rest of the standard 2025 The Frame lineup, complete with 144Hz refresh rate, a wireless break out box, and some AI integrations like Live Translation. Alongside its latest QLED models, the new lineup along with the higher-end The Frame Pro is going up for purchase as Samsung finally reveals the official price of its latest smart TV-meets-wall art lineup.
It’s that time of year and the massive annual Xbox Games Showcase has now been announced. While much of the gaming world awaits news on Switch 2 pre-orders finally go live in North America, Microsoft has taken to the official Xbox Wire to announce this year’s Xbox Games Showcase – it will once again be a double feature starting with the main event followed by a dedicated The Outer Worlds 2 Direct show. Details below.
Now that the Switch 2 unveiling hype has died down and we are entering the pre-order stage, I began to wonder to myself if the Switch 2 is worth it over my Switch OLED. It’s easy to assume the Switch 2 is the obvious choice – but for many players, especially casual gamers or families, the Switch OLED might actually be the better value. Here’s why:
Update: After a shocking report made headlines yesterday suggesting an inbound price hike on Switch 2, the DFC Intelligence firm via Forbes is clarifying its statement further – there perhaps won’t be a price jump at retail after all:
Apologies for the misunderstanding created on our part by not clarifying the reference to a 20% hardware price increase over the next two years applied to the hardware side in general and not just the Switch.
In the case of the Switch 2, we believe much of the 20% increase was already baked into the $450 price. It is not likely Nintendo will raise the price, and if they do, we don’t expect it to be 20%. Also much of that increase is in the form of NOT discounting prices. So not necessarily a price increase but where we model a 20% price decrease in the next year or so we have the prices holding steady.
As we all know by now, Nintendo officially delayed the pre-order date here in the U.S. indefinitely, with not even a whisper of when it might be ready to start taking orders. Just this morning it also officially delayed the pre-order date in Canada less than 24 hours before they were scheduled to go live on April 9. The release date remains firm for June 5 as of right now, but why has Nintendo delayed the inevitable? Well, we know it’s because of Trump’s tariffs announcement, but if the release date is still intact, why wait to take pre-orders?
Today, Arc is launching its wonderful metal Arc Pulse bumper cases for the new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones. Up until now, the Arc’s special brand of smartphone protection has only been available on iPhone models, the latest Google Pixel 9 devices, and previous-generation Galaxy handsets, but it is finally ready to begin taking orders on the new S25 Ultra Arc Pulse Bumper Cases. Head below for more details.
On top of getting the official release date, pre-order date, price, and some hands-on time to actually play the console, Nintendo and its partners have now detailed the Switch 2 launch games. Not only do we know just about exactly what major first-party Nintendo games will be launching on day one for Switch 2, but as part of yesterday’s Direct festivities, it also showed off a host of its own games as well as some ports and major third-party releases coming to Switch 2 in 2025. Down below we have begun to collect all of the Switch 2 launch games and all of the major titles that are scheduled to hit the system throughout the rest of the year for your reference.
So many of our burning questions leading up to last week’s Switch 2 Nintendo Direct have been answered at this point, but what about those Hall effects sticks? We have now seen the new Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, we have details on the console’s battery life, and we know how the Switch 2 Edition game upgrades will work (for the most part). But we still don’t know when pre-orders will go live in the U.S. after Nintendo cancelled the April 9 kick-off date, and there were still questions up in the air as to whether or not Nintendo was leveraging Hall effect technology on the new Switch 2 controllers…until now.
Update 4/8: Noooooo, Nintendo has now officially announced that pre-orders for Switch 2 in Canada will also be delayed to a later date. Nintendo has made an official statement to the press confirming that pre-orders in Canada will also be delayed to fall in-line with the U.S.
What time will Switch 2 pre-orders go live? Well, at this point we don’t even know what day they are going live here in the U.S., but north of the border Walmart has other major retailers have announced the official date and time Switch 2 pre-orders will begin, perhaps giving us a better idea of how things might shake out in the U.S. once Nintendo is ready to let us score one.
While the unveiling of the new Switch 2 was exciting, some aspects have left people asking for answers. Nintendo avoided mentioning things like battery life, accessory compatibility, game upgrade pricing and more. So let’s discuss everything Nintendo didn’t tell us, the good and the bad.
Late yesterday morning, Nintendo issued an official statement to the press saying that it would be delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. indefinitely, however this isn’t the case everywhere in the world. The company apparently needs time to assess the impacts of sweeping levies put in place by the Trump administration earlier this week before it will be ready to begin taking pre-orders of its next-generation console stateside – this is, however, not the case north of the border.
In a disappointing but unfortunately not surprising turn of events, reports are surfacing today suggesting Nintendo will officially be delaying the Switch 2 pre-order date in response to Trump tariffs. Nooooooo!
Update: Nintendo has now officially confirmed (via IGN) the upgrade pack price for the Switch Edition versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is $9.99 – they are still FREE for Switch Online + Expansion members
How much will Switch 2 Edition games cost? How much will it cost to upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition version of the Switch games you already own? Nintendo has released some official details that give us a very good idea of the prices we will be getting here. We have been seeing gamers asking a lot about all of this, so let’s dive into the details.
It was a big day for Nintendo yesterday with the full reveal of Nintendo Switch 2, its official price tag, release date, pre-order date, a closer look at Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, and we even had roughly 6 hours of hands-on time with the new console (check out the video right here), but the fun doesn’t stop there. A couple days ago Nintendo announced that it would be hosting some official Treehouse Live streams so gamers can get a closer look specifically at the new games, and it all starts very soon.
The all-new Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is cool and all. It has some sweet tracking features, appears to seamlessly integrate into a number of Switch 2 exclusive games, and we had a blast testing it out in person yesterday alongside Switch 2. But it’s not a Piranha Plant, and it can’t close its mouth like this official-licensed HORI Switch 2 cam that recently surfaced online.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 is now official and it comes with a bevy of new features that we got to experience when we went hands-on with the handheld for nearly six hours yesterday. While we learned a lot about the handheld during its announcement, it wasn’t exactly clear whether it would support ray tracing. Well, we now know that the Switch 2 does indeed support ray tracing for games. In fact, Nintendo also confirmed that the Switch 2 uses NVIDIA’s DLSS tech to improve your gameplay experience. Head below for more details.
I was lucky enough to get an exclusive look at the new Switch 2 at Nintendo’s hands-on unveiling event in NYC. I got to play with the Switch 2, the docked console, the new Joy-Cons, the new Pro controller, the new titles, and so much more. I wanted to bring you along to get a taste of what this event was like!
After nearly a decade, Nintendo finally returned with a true successor to the original Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2, unveiled at Nintendo’s Direct event, brings long-awaited upgrades across the board – from display and performance to multiplayer features and accessories. I spent some hands-on time with the device at press-only Nintendo event yesterday, and as someone who has owned every Switch variant from the OG Switch to the Switch OLED, here are my thoughts.
Hot on the heels of Nintendo’s Switch 2 announcement, Lexar has now made its 1TB PLAY PRO microSD card official, making it the “world’s first 1TB microSD Express Card.” Designed specifically for the new Nintendo Switch 2, this new model is built on the new SD card standard that combines PCI Express 3.0 and NVMe 1.3 interfaces, and it is said to deliver a significantly improved performance over the regular non-Express ones. The new PLAY PRO microSD Express cards are already listed on Amazon with prices starting at $49.99 shipped for the 256GB variant. Head below for a closer look and more details.
Nintendo might not have served up the price and pre-order date as part of the Switch 2 Direct, but do now have the official details. Switch 2 will launch on June 5 after pre-orders go live next week on April 9 with pricing kicking off at $450, and Best Buy has now announced some official details on its Switch preorder and launch plans you’ll want to be aware of.
Alongside the official complete reveal of Switch 2 today, as well as its official accessories and some of the exclusive new games, Nintendo also debuted the new Switch 2 game cartridge design as well as something known as Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards. Let’s take a closer look at both.
Alongside the reveal of the new Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza Switch 2 exclusives, not to mention the official price and release date of the console, we also got details on the new GameChat feature and new Switch 2 accessories. Nintendo has now updated its official Switch 2 site with additional details on each of them as well as the official price.
Just after giving us a complete look at the new Switch 2, the official price, and when preorders will start, Nintendo has also now officially unveiled the Mario Kart World. The game will be available as part of an optional console bundle when preorders start next week, but there is also an upcoming dedicated Direct presentation for the game and a price some folks might not be happy with.
Nintendo just hosted its widely anticipated Switch 2 Direct with a few missing pieces of information – the price and the pre-order date. We know the system is releasing on June 5, 2025, but it has just issued a press release offering up the official price and pre-order dates now!
Nintendo has now released an official new teaser video specifically showcasing the new “C” button on Switch 2, and right on the morning the highly-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct will go live. The day has finally come and it will only be a matter of hours before the scheduled Switch 2 Direct presentation goes live at 9 a.m. ET, so we will keep this one short and sweet.
Update: Nintendo has officially announced $450 price for Switch 2, $500 Mario Kart bundle, and pre-orders start next week!
The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct goes live today. After months of questions and speculation, Nintendo will take the virtual stage this morning to fully reveal the Nintendo Switch 2. After a first-look official trailer finally ended years of waiting back in January, Nintendo is set to host a lengthy Direct event this morning on Switch 2 and it’s all set to go live in just a few hours time now.
While it likely won’t be long now until we find out for sure, some believe that a newly surfaced Nintendo FCC filing is confirming the existence of the new Switch 2 Pro Controller – or some sort of new gamepad anyway.
Update: According to the official Nintendo Today! app, the Treehouse presentations detailed below will last for 4 hours and 3 hours, respectively.
As you already know from our Countdown to Nintendo Switch 2 Direct feature this morning, the show is set to go live tomorrow morning and we now have some additional official details. Nintendo has now issued a press release and some extra details to look forward to on its official X (Twitter) page regarding not just the Switch 2 Direct, but also some follow up coverage that will highlight gameplay.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct goes live in just over 24 hours now. After years of rumors, leaks, and speculation that finally culminated in an official reveal of the next-generation of Nintendo gaming earlier this year, the flagpole for this stage of the Switch 2 launch is just over the next hill folks! All of the details you need on the Switch 2 Direct are waiting down below alongside everything we know thus far on pre-order dates and a quick look back at the major announcements over the last couple months await below.
Update 4/1: You will now see the official Switch 2 teaser video these images were pulled from yesterday inside of the Nintendo Today! app.
Well folks, we are less than 48 hours out from the official Switch 2 Direct showcase, and Nintendo has finally served up another official image of Switch 2….sort of. The Nintendo Today! app in the U.S. still shows the “2 Days to gGo” teaser video that isn’t particularly interesting, but folks in the Japanese timezone are already seeing the “1 Day to Go” image, and it’s a new one that shows the Switch 2 in three different forms.
Our countdown to the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct continues today and, after going over the pre-order details, Switch 2 enhanced games, colorway options, the new 3D Mario game, leaked details on the upcoming Zelda releases, and the spring/early summer launch expectations, today we are talking controllers – more specifically the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Details on the new Joy-Con have come to light via new official renders in the Nintendo Today! app alongside a host of seemingly official patent filings, but the seemingly inevitable Switch 2 Pro Controller remains (mostly) elusive.
Holiday season is when console makers tend to ship a ton of units. They’re a popular gift idea that’s pretty much guaranteed to be a slam dunk no matter which age group you’re buying for. This rings especially true with Nintendo, as it can appeal to kids, adults, and even elderly folks as well. So it’s not crazy to wonder why Nintendo would release Switch 2 during the spring or summer. Continue reading to find out what time of year Nintendo and other console makers tend to unleash their new systems.
Our countdown to the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct rolls on and today we are turning our attention back to the games. The internet has been ablaze the last few days with a string of pre-order date leaks – Best Buy says they begin on April 2 right after the Direct showcase and leaked internal documents say April 9…we will see – but whenever it releases (likely June), it’s really all about the games, and if you’re not talking Mario and friends, you’re talking Zelda.
