Latest news with #Nintendo
The Verge
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Print your own Switch 2 modular accessories.
The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo's new console See all Stories Posted Jun 27, 2025 at 10:52 PM UTC
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Let's Talk About Why Some Folks Are Really Unhappy With The Switch 2's Screen
Ever since we learned the Switch 2 would have an LCD screen instead of a fancier OLED panel, discourse around Nintendo's latest console has often turned sour when it comes to its display. Of course, once folks were able to get the new hardware in their hands, the Switch 2 revealed itself to be packing an impressively bright and vibrant LCD. Those do exist; they're still not as great as fancy as an OLED, but liquid crystal display tech is still more than capable of meeting and exceeding expectations for producing a quality image in 2025. But now a new controversy over the Switch 2's display has emerged, this time wielding scary terms like 'ghosting' and 'refresh rate,' as critiques spread asserting that fast-paced games look blurry in motion and concerns rise from some arguing that the HDR display packed in with Nintendo's new hybrid console isn't really HDR. Are they right? Kind of, yeah! Should you regret your decision to buy a Nintendo Switch 2? Probably not! Let's talk. I'm sorry to tell you that video games are an illusion. Mario isn't actually moving when he jumps. As you probably already know, GPUs crunch out one image at a time and these images, when played very fast, create the illusion of motion. We're seeing several images of Mario, with each image showing him in a slightly different location. And our screen needs to display those images cleanly, at a rapid, matching pace. That's a very brisk and incomplete explanation of how video games deliver the visuals we know and love, but it's more or less how it all works. The way the image gets delivered to your eyes relies on coordination between how fast the GPU can pump out images and how often your monitor refreshes, which is measured in Hertz. Should those things be out of sync in some way, you'll spot some screen tearing, which is when there's a mismatch between how many images the GPU spits out per second and how many times the monitor refreshes too (in case you didn't know, all monitors are actually turning on and off at very fast speeds that give the illusion of staying on). But we can also measure the refresh rate in milliseconds, and that's where we can really lock into some specificity and understand what's going on. The lower the millisecond response time, the cleaner the motion of something moving across the screen looks. Ratchet that response time up and things start to look a little blurry in motion. 120Hz is a swell refresh rate for a gaming display. The problem with the Switch 2, however, is that the millisecond response time of its screen is a bit slow compared to those of many other gaming displays on the market. Compounding the problem is that we actually can't fully test the Switch 2's screen as efficiently as we can other displays. The Switch 2 doesn't allow for external video input. So, as PC Mag's Will Greenwald discusses in his breakdown of the latest Switch controversy, folks have been taking to measuring how quickly pixels change color on the Switch 2 screen using optical sensors and cameras, among other tools. This is technically not the same thing as measuring the refresh rate as mentioned above, but it does offer insight into how fast the screen performs. Objectively, the Switch 2's screen might have some shortcomings, but your experience with it is subjective. The results of these tests revealed a 17.1 millisecond response time on the Switch 2 in a best case scenario, and a 33.3 ms response time at worst. As Greenwald mentions, gaming displays should ideally aim for below 10 ms. So no, it's not just in people's heads. Maybe they're being picky! But in reality, the Switch 2's response time isn't great compared to other gaming displays. Knowing that fact, though, shouldn't keep you from having fun with your console. By 2025, many are likely familiar with what High Dynamic Range is: an expansion of how just how bright or dark a screen can display colors. An HDR display (with a signal to match) looks far more vivid and lifelike than an SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) screen does. And it's awesome. To my eyes, HDR is more of an upgrade than 4K resolution could've ever dreamed of being. But comparing the Switch 2's HDR to a fancier HDR screen is sort of like comparing organic food to certified organic food. Technically speaking, the Switch 2's brightness range at less than 1,000 nits falls short of what is needed to portray a true HDR image. So it's got a Higher Dynamic Range than SDR, but is arguably not true HDR. Yeah, you know what? Nothing's ever good enough for you. Let's just burn the whole thing down—sorry, I dunno where that came from. Silly me. No, as anyone who's seen a Switch 2 in person can attest, the screen looks great! Games look bright and colorful as we'd expect them to. Sure, if you have a serious eye for detail and you're a numbers nerd, you may feel the screen could've hit higher benchmarks. And sadly, hooking your Switch 2 up to a better display via the dock doesn't seem to fix the problem as, according to PC Mag, external display output of the Switch 2 seems to stay true to what its internal screen can display. Coming from someone who has formative, joyous memories of GTA IV, Halo 3, Mass Effect, and BioShock from my old Xbox 360 hooked up to an old, tiny, somewhat faulty CRT in the corner of a basement, inferior tech doesn't always mean an inferior experience. Objectively, the Switch 2's screen might have some shortcomings, but your experience with it is subjective. So tune all the noise out if it upsets you, enjoy another lap on Mario Kart World and stop thinking about all this ms-time and HDR nonsense. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Verge
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Mario Kart World update shuts down the 'random' track trick for online races.
The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo's new console See all Stories Posted Jun 27, 2025 at 3:56 PM UTC Mario Kart World update shuts down the 'random' track trick for online races. Before the patch, the 'random' track choice would teleport players to a course for a traditional three-lap race, allowing them to avoid the 'intermission' races that require players to drive to the track location where they typically complete just one lap. Now, the 'random' option appears to include both intermission races and ones that teleport everyone to the next track, frustrating players who just want to quickly hop into their next race, as reported by Kotaku .
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Nintendo Switch Summer Sale is live — 11 best game deals from $3 to snag now
Whether you're looking to get yourself set up with a big library of games or need something to entertain yourself while you track Nintendo Switch 2 restocks, you're in luck, as the Nintendo Summer Sale is happening right now. There are tons of discounted digital games available. And if you're a fan of physical media, you can also save on some Switch games at Amazon, with plenty of affordable options available, such as Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for $49. Keep scrolling to see all my favorite Nintendo Switch game deals. Plus, check out our Amazon promo codes, and see this incredible golf club deal. Enter the Gungeon is a fun game that'll test your aim and reaction time. Classified as a bullet hell dungeon crawler, the game will have you dodging and shooting with style. And at less than $4, there's a lot of fun gameplay to be had, whether you're on an original Switch or a Switch 2. Dragon Ball Z and fighting game fans are going to love this one. It promises endless spectacular fights with the beloved Dragon Ball roster of all-powerful fighters. The game features attractive anime graphics and offers easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master fighting gameplay. The whole crew is here — Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi and everyone else from the beloved Mario + Rabids universe is ready to go in this fun strategy game. It's worth getting at the full price, but with this digital sale from Nintendo, it's even more appealing. I am a total Monster Hunter addict, and I've put more hours than I care to count into Monster Hunter Rise and its Sunbreak expansion. Sure, most players have moved on to Monster Hunter Wilds, but there's tons of fun to be had in Rise if you haven't played it yet. Persona 5 Royal is part turn-based RPG and part high-school simulator. You play as a new student who has recently moved to Tokyo. Soon, you discover the ability to traverse a strange alternate reality and form the Phantom Thieves to fix the corrupt society around you. Just be warned, Persona 5 Royal will consume all your free time once it gets its hooks in. Take a trip down memory lane with one of the best fighting game collections you can get. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics has seven games in one awesome package. The games have enhanced features that make them feel more modern, which is a nice bonus. Epic Mickey is a solid game with a few flaws. Thankfully, the Rebrushed version on the Nintendo Switch fixes some of those problems, creating a well-rounded game for Disney fans. With it being around half off, it's a great time to snag this one. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury has all the 3D Mario platforming you know and love, but with tons of added content thanks to Bowser's Fury. There are dozens of colorful courses to work through, whether you want to play with friends or on your own. If you have nostalgia for Donkey Kong Country, or you're just looking for a fun new platformer to play on your beloved Switch or Switch 2 console, this deal is perfect for you. It has some extra levels from the 3DS version of the game, so there's new stuff to experience. Ultimate by name, ultimate by nature. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings together every single fighter in the franchise's history for a showdown of epic proportions. This hugely popular party game is now on sale. This side-scrolling adventure is a wonderfully refreshing spin on the classic Mario formula. Venturing to the Flower Kingdom, you'll discover stage-altering Wonder Flowers which can warp levels, create new platforming challenges and even turn Mario into an elephant. Playable in up to four-player co-op, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a platforming marvel for the entire family and one of the very best Nintendo Switch games you can play now.
Gizmodo
10 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Finally, We're Seeing More Ways to Quadruple Your Switch 2's Paltry Storage
If you're like me, your hungry Switch 2's belly is already full up with a slate of launch games combined with your backlog of original Switch titles. When a growing number of games take up 60GB or more on your new handheld, you'll want to look for extra storage options. Unfortunately, every option available right now costs close to half of what you already need to spend on Nintendo's $450 handheld console. The Switch 2 only accepts microSD Express cards, not stock-standard microSD. Express-level cards first debuted in 2023 to enable faster write speeds. For cameras, this meant images would load onto the card much faster after you press the shutter button. For gaming, the cards write faster, but they also read quicker as well. When games take up more storage space, being able to load that data faster matters. Fellow memory card maker Lexar announced the first 1TB microSD Express card back in April. That card cost $200 and had 900MB/s read and 600MB/s write speeds. GameStop also sells a 1TB card for $190. UK-based company Team Group, which makes memory cards and SSDs, dropped details about its Apex SD7.1 microSD Express with a standout 1TB of storage. That's four times the amount of space you get with the Switch 2, and it seems extra enticing until you realize there's no word about when it will be available and little to hint about how much it will cost. Team Group's Apex card has read and write speeds of up to 800MB/s and 700MB/s, respectively. Such a card would technically be able to handle 16 60GB games or 45 games the size of Mario Kart World. These newfangled microSD Express cards can plug into older handhelds, but you won't see the same read and write speeds on devices that normally support base microSD. Older full-size SD Cards with the SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) standard with storage options up to 2TB max out at around 300 MB/s read speeds. You don't have to look too far in the past to see how the cost might scale on such a new form of flash storage. The first 1TB microSD card from SanDisk cost $450 at launch in spring 2019. That's as much as a Switch 2 today. Prices slipped fast once more manufacturers jumped on the 1TB train, and today you can grab that same SanDisk card for under $90. Currently, you can get a Nintendo-branded 256GB Samsung microSD Express card with a little Mario 'M' for $60. A 512GB ONN card also goes for $60, but that's currently sold out on sites like Walmart. Pricing doesn't scale linearly, but with more cards available, the cost of 1TB Express-level cards could come down at a relatively fast pace. Nintendo was very excited to tell the world the Switch 2 had eight times the amount of storage capacity of the original Switch. However, all that means is the sequel handheld has a bare 256GB to hold your mountain of games. Games like Street Fighter VI ask for 48.3 GB, while Split Fiction demands a full 73GB. What compounds this issue is the number of launch titles that don't exist on Nintendo's game cards. Games can come in three different digital formats: either as digital download only, as a code-in-a-box, or as a game-key card. The latter is a physical card that essentially acts as a code to download the game from Nintendo's eShop. You can't play the game without the card inserted into the Switch 2. Older microSD cards have completely different pin configurations, and they aren't compatible with the Switch 2. MicroSD Express can use two more modern standards of interfacing with devices, including PCI Express or NVM Express, which allow for faster speeds than the microSD card interface. Still, if you're installing your games on your system, you should look to fill up your internal storage first. Tests of load speeds on Mario Kart World show that the game loads three seconds faster through internal storage than through a microSD Express card. The Lexar card with the highest storage space played catch-up with the smaller Samsung and SanDisk cards. Coming up last was the flash storage on the physical game card. I would sacrifice slightly faster load times for the sake of actually owning the games I play, but if you play on Switch 2, you may not have the choice.
