Latest News - Page 309

Nintendo Switch 2 only supports microSD Express cards to keep up with the new faster loading times.

The rumors were true: The Switch 2 supports microSD Express flash cards. The bad news is that regular microSD cards aren't supported on the Switch 2. To see if your card is supported, look for an EX on the card itself. If there's no EX anywhere, then it's not Express.

The microSD Express protocol is capable of delivering SSD-like speeds of up to 985MB/sec, which is a massive boost over the 104MB/sec that the base microSD cards deliver.

Nintendo has bumped prices of its games to $80, and is prepared to charge as much as $90 for physical Switch 2 cartridges.

Today, Nintendo announced the Switch 2 will arrive on June 5 for $450, which is higher than most analysts had predicted. The system isn't the only thing that may be expensive to consumers who are currently navigating uncertain global economic conditions--the games themselves will be more expensive than the Switch 1 generation.

While not mentioned in press release information, Nintendo has inadvertently confirmed that Switch 2 games will be priced at $80 for digital titles and $90 for physical cartridge-based games. Nintendo's official Mario Kart World website confirms a $79.99 MSRP for the game, and the same game is listed at 89.99 euros on the Nintendo Spain Store (the prices are typically the same between Europe and North America).

Apple is working on a next-generation M6 processor that will be found inside of a new iPad Pro in 2027, with a custom in-house C2 or C3 5G modem in 2027.

In a new post from Bloomberg insider Mark Gurman, we're learning that the new M5 processor will enter mass production in 2026 at its new factory in Houston, expected to debut inside of new iPad Pros and MacBook Pro laptops. Meanwhile, the future-gen M6 processor will feature a new in-house C2/C3 5G modem and be ready for release sometime in 2027.

Gurman writes: "Apple's M5 iPad Pro goes into advanced testing ahead of launch this year. The company is planning to make the iPad Pro one of the first devices to include the next-generation M5 chip. The new versions of that model, code-named J817, J818, J820 and J821, are in late testing within Apple and on track for production in the second half of this year. The company has also started early work on M6 versions with in-house modem chips, which are being targeted for 2027".

Some original Switch games will be enhanced on Switch 2, but gamers will have to pay extra to get them.

Today's Switch 2 reveal highlighted a bold strategy for Nintendo: Charging for next-gen enhancements and upgrades. Select original Switch 1 games will play better on the Switch 2, complete with a bunch of additions and extras, but it won't be free.

Some original Switch games will get a "Switch 2 Edition" that leverages the power of the new Switch 2 console via upgrades (full details here). These will be sold as a separate game SKU in storefronts. Unlike the PS5 and Xbox Series generation, these upgrades won't be free right out of the gate. When the 9th console generation kicked off in 2020, publishers typically gave a grace period between the cross-gen migration and gave away free next-gen versions of their games as a bonus.

You probably didn't miss the recent fuss about Microsoft cutting off a workaround to enable a Windows 11 installation to be carried out with a local account, rather than being tied to a Microsoft account - but it turns out that when one door closes, another two open.

To recap on this, the door being closed was the so-called 'bypassnro' method (used in the command prompt during Windows 11 setup), although there remains a way to do this via the Registry still (although that's clunkier, and surely likely to be stripped out soon enough, anyway).

WitherOrNot subsequently highlighted a better workaround on X, and on top of that, Neowin noticed that there's now yet another way to fudge a local install of Windows 11 - check out the post above from XPower7125 on X.

NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 50 series Laptop GPUs are now out in the market, with new testing pointing out that the new RTX 5080 Laptop GPU is only 10-15% slower than the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU in gaming tests... and RTX 5080 gaming laptops are 72% cheaper.

In some new benchmarks from the folks at Notebookcheck, we get a battle against NVIDIA's new flagship GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU against the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, with some big differences in terms of specs between teh mobile GPUs, a chasm in price (72% or so), yet the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU isn't that much slower.

NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU features 37% more CUDA cores than the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, but both of them are limited to just 150W (175W with Dynamic Boost). Another big difference between the two laptop graphics chips is that the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU features 24GB of GDDR7 while the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU sports 16GB GDDR7.

The remake of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion might be imminent, and could even be released as soon as tomorrow, if a new rumor is right.

This speculation was aired by a leaker relatively fresh to the gaming scene, a certain Detective Seeds posting on X, as noticed by Wccftech.

If Detective Seeds is correct, the Oblivion remake might debut as soon as tomorrow, April 3 - or if not, it'll arrive next week, but the expectation is very much that it's about to be unleashed.

ADATA's gaming brand XPG is back again with another DDR5 world record, collaborating with GIGABYTE on using its XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 memory and LN2 cooling to smash 12762MT/s, and setting a new DDR5 memory OC world record.

Overclocker Hicookier used an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor on a GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS Tachyon ICE motherboard, using a stick of ADATA XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 memory at 6381.2MHz (12762MT/s). ADATA proudly announced on its website: "This remarkable achievement has been verified by the renowned international overclocking scoring platform, HWBOT, reinforcing XPG's leadership in extreme overclocking memory".

Nintendo has confirmed the big first-party title to launch alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 will be Mario Kart World, or Mario Kart 9 for those who are counting.

Nintendo has just wrapped up its Nintendo Switch 2-dedicated Direct and kicked off the hour-long show by jumping straight into the action with the unveiling of Mario Kart World. The presentation with a lengthy reveal of the new Mario Kart game will launch exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 when the new console becomes available on June 5.

According to the showcased footage seen above, players will be able to race seamlessly across connected roads and racetracks and participate in a new Knockout Tour mode that will put players on back-to-back courses with no pit stops. Nintendo confirms that Mario Kart World will introduce atmospheric weather conditions, meaning that, depending on the "time of day," the conditions on the road will change. The Grand Prix mode will enable players to drive to each new course, and Mario Kart World will enable up to 24 players in each race, the most of any Mario Kart game.

After years of waiting, countless rumors, and an entire hour-long dedicated Direct to the new console, Nintendo has finally confirmed when the Switch 2 will be released.

Nintendo has just wrapped up its official Switch 2-dedicated Direct, which gave us a detailed look at the new console, showing how it compares to the original Nintendo Switch and what gamers will get if they decide to upgrade. The hour-long Direct covered many aspects of the Switch 2, such as its general features, performance aspects, unique Switch 2 features, and launch titles.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will officially launch on June 5, but unfortunately, Nintendo didn't reveal the price tag for the console, instead, we got a myriad of games confirmed for the new system, such as Mario Kart Worlds and Elden Ring, juicy specifications, such as a 1920 x 1080p resolution display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate and 4K video output when docked, and an explanation to the new mouse feature with the Joy-Cons.

Nintendo has just confirmed that Elden Ring is coming to Nintendo's next-generation handheld console, the Nintendo Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Elden Ring is called "Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition" and will launch on the new console, which was just confirmed to have a 1080p display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR. It's currently unclear if Elden Ring will be able to take full advantage of the 120Hz refresh rate or use the new mouse functionality with the Joy-Cons.

Additionally, the Switch 2 is capable of 4K video output while docked, which would be particularly good for Elden Ring and those gamers who want to take advantage of the newly announced Pro Controller. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2025, presumably after June 5, which is when the Switch 2 will be available.

Nintendo has just confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 will have a 1920 x 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR support.

Nintendo is currently showcasing the Nintendo Switch 2 in a dedicated Direct, where the company confirmed the Switch 2 will have a display that's nearly double the pixels of the original Nintendo Switch. Additionally, Nintendo has confirmed the Switch 2 will feature a full high definition display (FHD), which measures 1920 x 1080p.

The big surprise is that Nintendo has packed the Switch 2 with a 120Hz display in handheld mode, while also adding extra performance via the dock, which can output at 4K (3840 x 2160p) with upscaling.

Nintendo confirms the functionality of its mysterious new C-button, confirms that can be used for a ton of new social features.

The Switch 2's new C-button will allow a host of new community-driven features, including Game Chat. The C-button brings up a menu where users can start a voice chat party with other players, similar to the old Xbox 360 days of old.

Within the social menu, users can share their screens like on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and even start webcam chats with a special Switch 2 camera accessory. The latency wasn't so great in the video, so it remains to be seen what kind of quality the webcam can deliver. The device has a built-in mic that automatically picks up your voice, and it might even use NVIDIA's noise-cancelling tech. Game Chat will require a Switch Online membership, but you'll be able to try it for a limited period, Nintendo says.

The first humans to orbit both the North and South Poles have released videos showing the desolate wastelands from a never-before-seen vantage point.

The Fram2 mission, powered by SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft named Resilience, launched on April 1, with four astronauts aboard the spacecraft on a world-first entry into a planetary polar orbit - an orbit around Earth that takes the capsule above both of Earth's poles. After a 10-minute boost to low-Earth orbit, Resilience successfully entered a polar orbit, beginning the awe for the four passengers aboard Resilience.

The four now-astronauts, Malta resident and funder for the mission Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips, are now enjoying a cruisy flight above the surface of Earth while conducting valuable scientific experiments and research. The crew has twenty-two scientific and research experiments to conduct during their time aboard, with some experiments including the world's first X-ray monitoring of bone density while in space, the first mushroom growing in space, glucose monitoring, and sleep research.

The high-end gaming monitor market is getting some more company as AOC is releasing under its premium Agon line a 600Hz 1080p display, and a 4K at 240Hz OLED monitor.

AOC has unveiled the Agon Pro AG246FK6 and Agon Pro AG276UZD gaming monitors, with the AG246FK6 being the 600Hz variant that will be priced at approximately $895. With that intense level of refresh rate you can bet the AG246FK6 is aimed directly at competitive gamers who are after nothing more than the highest refresh rate possible. As for other specifications, the AG246FK6 sports a 1920 x 1080p resolution across its 24-inch display, a 600Hz refresh rate that's paired with a 0.5ms GtG response time, and a peak brightness of 500cd/m².

As for connectivity, the AG246FK6 is outfitted with a 2x HDMI 2.1 port, 1x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x USB Type-B, and 1x 3.5mm headphone jack. As for the Agon Pro AG276UZD, this is AOC's new OLED monitor that uses the third-generation QD-OLED panel technology.

HP's OMEN gaming brand has been around for a while, and in decent years, the company has released impressive gaming laptops, OLED displays, complete desktop rigs, and even peripherals like mice and keyboards.

The latest HP OMEN range, which is listed as coming soon, sees the company and brand expand into the world of PC components - with a set of OMEN-branded fans, power supplies, and even AIO liquid CPU coolers on the way.

Fan-wise, you've got the OMEN 120mm aRGB Fans with customizable lighting and visual effects via the OMEN Gaming Hub software and the more premium OMEN Modular 120 mm fans (with 74 CFM at 2,400 RPM). Up to 10 can be daisy-chained to minimize cable clutter, and up to 16 fans can be paired with the OMEN Modular Hub.

Ubisoft's long-awaited, controversial, and delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally out in its first week of release and has reached three million players. It's one of the year's best-selling games, sitting behind Capcom's smash hit Monster Hunter Wilds. Even though Ubisoft still finds itself in financial trouble and is, by all accounts, spinning off key franchises like Assassin's Creed to fall under the direction of a new subsidiary - there's a lot more Creed coming.

According to industry insider Tom Henderson, the mysterious Assassin's Creed multiplayer game that Ubisoft confirmed was in development back in 2022 is currently on track for a 2025 release. This makes it the second Assassin's Creed title, after Shadows, to drop this year. Called Assassin's Creed Invictus, the multiplayer take on the franchise will be more like Fall Guys or Smash Bros. than a traditional open-world action adventure.

The Fall Guys comparison is because players will compete in various rounds of varying activities, ranging from 'team deathmatch' style bouts to parkour speedrunning. The camera will be more zoomed out than we've seen before, and maps will take inspiration from classic franchise entries like Assassin's Creed II's Renaissance Italy - according to @xj0nathan over on X.

Nintendo is finally about to give us a close-up look at the Nintendo Switch 2 in a new Switch 2-dedicated Direct that's scheduled to take place in just a matter of hours.

The upcoming direct will be approximately 60 minutes long and throughout the showcase we can expect Nintendo to answer many of the burning questions gamers have about the upcoming console, such as: performance capabilities compared to the original Nintendo Switch, if original Nintendo Switch games will get an updated Nintendo Switch 2 version, the main features of the console, Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive launch games, and the specifications.

While Nintendo isn't likely to provide nitty gritty specifics in terms of number comparisons, once the Direct has concluded, we should have a much better idea of what the Switch 2 can do versus the original Switch, even if it is just generally. The latest rumors for the upcoming console state the Switch 2 will have a 1080p LCD display that's capable of achieving 120Hz. Additionally, these same rumors indicate the Switch 2 will have VRR and HDR support.

Meta is slated to become the first company to release smart glasses that feature a screen for displaying apps and photos. The new pair of smart glasses could be released as early as the end of this year.

According to unnamed sources familiar with the project who spoke to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Meta is working on a pair of premium smart glasses that will be priced at more than $1,000, with the price hovering somewhere around the $1,300 and $1,400 mark.

These smart glasses are gearing up to be industry first as Meta plans on implementing a screen for displaying photos and apps, which is unsurprisingly the main component driving up the total cost of the glasses. According to Gurman, the price hike versus the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses ($299) can be attributed to the monocular panel (screen) located within the right lens's lower-right quadrant.

Microsoft launched its Copilot+ PC range last year, with the custom AI-powered version of Windows 11 exclusive to Windows on Arm systems running the latest Snapdragon X Series processors. It was a strange move from the traditionally x86-based software and services company, but it was born from the fact that, at the time, Snapdragon X APUs were the only ones with the required NPU grunt (measured in AI TOPS) to run the new features.

Since then, AMD and Intel have released new CPUs or APUs with powerful enough integrated AI hardware - namely, the AMD Ryzen AI 300 and Intel Core Ultra 200V series of processors. This week, Microsoft announced that Copilot+ PC features or "experiences" are now available to x86 machines with these AMD and Intel chips.

Let's break them down. First up is the useful Live Captions feature, which uses AI to offer real-time translations in English for audio and video content in over 40 languages. This can be used for meetings while watching videos or listening to a podcast. Microsoft notes that support for Simplified Chinese translations is coming soon to AMD and Intel devices, with support for 27 languages.