Latest news with #NintendoSwitch2
The Verge
2 hours ago
- The Verge
Can you spot an authentication chip in the Nintendo Switch 2's dock?
The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo's new console See all Stories Posted Jul 2, 2025 at 9:59 PM UTC Can you spot an authentication chip in the Nintendo Switch 2's dock? While reporting out how the Nintendo Switch 2 breaks compatibility with third-party docks, I didn't get enough from my USB sniffer to tell if there's truly a special new encryption/authentication chip aboard the official one. But our friends at iFixit were kind enough to send over these incredibly clean, high-res photos of the dock's circuitry. I don't know what I'm looking for, but perhaps you might?
The Verge
4 hours ago
- The Verge
How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2's USB-C port and broke third-party docking
There's always a reason why universal USB-C ports don't 'just work' like you'd expect. In the early days, it was incompetence or naiveté. Later, manufacturers often cheaped out. But in the case of Nintendo's Switch 2, it appears to be intentional. With the Nintendo Switch 2, it should be easy to plug your new, more expensive console into video glasses or TVs when you're traveling away from home. USB-C makes it so. But Nintendo has intentionally broken the Switch 2's compatibility with those devices, using a new encryption scheme and some form of dedicated encryption chip, two accessory manufacturers tell The Verge. I haven't yet found proof of that encryption chip myself — but when I analyzed the USB-C PD traffic with a Power-Z tester, I could clearly see the new Nintendo Switch not behaving like a good USB citizen should. If you've been wondering why there are basically no portable Switch 2 docks on the market, this is the reason. Even Jsaux, the company that built its reputation by beating the Steam Deck dock to market, tells us it's paused its plans to build a Switch 2 dock because of Nintendo's actions. It's not simply because the Switch 2 now requires more voltage, as was previously reported; it's that Nintendo has made things even more difficult this generation. That 'U' in USB isn't always 'universal,' but this is generally true: if you plug any USB-C to HDMI adapter, dock, or hub into a USB-C laptop, tablet or handheld that supports USB-C video output, you can expect to see your screen automatically appear on your TV. The magic is normally possible because of a simple, standardized set of instructions that any manufacturer can follow to make their docking station or hub 'talk' to the computer. In fact, they're so simple I can mock up a basic version for you right here: This conversation, using standardized (known as 'structured') messages over the USB-C PD protocol, takes a tiny fraction of a second. But as you probably now suspect, the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't do it that way. When you plug the Switch 2 into a third-party dock or hub, it may refuse to negotiate power. Other times, it'll get the power it asks for, but then the conversation will abruptly grind to a halt. Because that's when the Nintendo Switch 2 will start talking in code — proprietary messages only Nintendo can decipher. By now, you might be wondering how I can see any of this, coded or not. But all you need is a middleman to sniff the USB-C Power Delivery traffic passing between a dock and Nintendo's handheld, like the Power-Z KM003C that I bought for this story. I plug one end of it into the Switch 2 (and other computers to compare), another end of it into the Switch 2's dock (and other docks to compare), connect its third port to my Windows PC with a long cable, then fire up its app to log the passing data. When I analyze the conversation between the Nintendo Switch 2 and its dock, I can see the two devices begin speaking in Nintendo's own flavor of 'vendor defined' language early in the conversation, before they sign off on any video output. And then, seemingly before the dock confirms that it's engaged video-out, they send over 30 proprietary 'unstructured' messages to one another. Other USB-C hubs and docks I've tested don't have that same conversation — with one notable exception. As of today, only one single third-party dock claims to be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. And you probably won't be surprised to hear that when I tested the $36 Antank S3 Max (aka SiWiQU TV Dock Station), I found it speaks Nintendo's coded language. It doesn't transmit every message in the same exact order as Nintendo's dock, and it supplies a slightly different amount of electricity, but it sent almost exactly the same coded messages and responses to Nintendo's requests, including a repeating code that I'm particularly curious about: 33 01 07 DA 06 01 6D 68 33 01 07 DA 06 01 6D 68. According to Antank, which says it checked with its chip supplier, that hexadecimal string 'is indeed the current key being used by Nintendo.' My other sources are less sure. But just like with the official Nintendo Switch 2 dock, our TV lights up after the Antank sends those coded messages. But that doesn't mean any company can just copy Nintendo's commands and expect their dock to keep on working. 'We do expect Nintendo may further limit third-party docks and accessories via system updates to maintain device and system security,' Jsaux spokesperson Winnie Chen tells The Verge. Antank seems to agree. 'Yes — the key should be considered subject to change,' writes an Antank representative who goes by Susie. 'However, our product supports firmware updates, and any future changes to the authentication key by Nintendo could theoretically be addressed via software, ensuring continued compatibility.' So why is any of this a big deal, particularly when the Switch 2 comes with its own dock right in the box? Well, it's not just big TV docks. Nintendo has also broken compatibility with portable docks that you can take on vacation or to your hotel room, and with video glasses like the Xreal One, which cost as much as or more than a Switch 2 all by themselves. And to fix that, you'll apparently need to buy brand-new hardware, Jsaux, Antank, and Xreal have found. While Xreal originally seemed to suggest it was a temporary problem that just required a 'technical adjustment,' Xreal now says the fix will need a new gadget called the Xreal Neo. The good news: Xreal spokesperson Ralph Jodice tells The Verge the new device is already working in the lab and will ship 'a little later this year.' Another argument I've heard on Reddit: why shouldn't Nintendo have the ability to protect the Switch 2 from fly-by-night docking stations and power supplies that might damage its new handheld and trigger more calls to Nintendo customer support? There, I might point out that locking things down isn't necessarily a fix. When Nintendo released the original Switch in 2017, accessory makers similarly had to figure out how to crack Nintendo's esoteric docking protocols, and some of them (Nyko) allegedly led to damaged handhelds. I expect some eagle-eyed Nintendo fans will also point out that the Switch 2, unlike the original Switch, needs active airflow to run properly: Nintendo's official Switch 2 dock now has a fan inside, and the console has vents on the bottom that might get blocked by third-party docks. (In fact, the Antank dock already does block those vents!) But before you suggest that the vents and fan are strictly necessary, please know that the cooling fan in the Switch 2 dock doesn't actually cool the Switch 2, and that Antank's dock doesn't seem to make a Switch 2 run hotter than the official dock. I ran Cyberpunk 2077 for an hour straight with each dock, then pulled out a thermal camera, and Antank's actually seems slightly cooler. Perhaps having more airflow across the screen and back of the console offsets the impact of blocked vents. By that logic, perhaps the console could run even cooler if Nintendo let you use a USB-C to HDMI dongle instead of docking it. Mostly, it's the principle of the matter. USB-C should just work, here's a place where it usually does, and yet Nintendo has kept it from doing so. Nintendo would not confirm or deny that it's using encryption and authentication chips to lock down the Switch 2's video output. It offered no comment for this story.
The Verge
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Obsbot will update its Tiny and Meet webcams for Nintendo Switch 2.
The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo's new console See all Stories Posted Jul 2, 2025 at 7:01 PM UTC Obsbot will update its Tiny and Meet webcams for Nintendo Switch 2. The Chinese company's developing a reputation for quality compact webcams, and now it's joining Elgato and Ugreen by updating them to work with the Nintendo Switch 2. None of the company's cameras currently work, but the Tiny 2, Tiny 2 Lite, Meet 2, Tiny SE, and budget $69 Meet SE will all get the updates later this year, PR manager Rain Hu tells me. (Hu says our story helped!) Here's a list of which webcams already work.
Mint
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Good news for WWE 2K25 fans: The game is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23, pre-orders now live
2K has officially announced thatWWE 2K25 will be launching on the Nintendo Switch 2 later this month. The popular wrestling simulation title, which debuted across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms in March, is scheduled to arrive on the new Nintendo console on 23 July. Pre-orders for the game are now live on the Nintendo eShop, accompanied by a fresh trailer tailored for the Switch 2 version. Much like its counterparts on other platforms,WWE 2K25 for the Switch 2 will be available in three editions: Standard, Deadman, and The Bloodline. Players on Nintendo's latest hardware will have access to the full suite of game modes and match types, including the open-world experience 'The Island', which had previously been limited to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. You may be interested in In addition to 'The Island', fan-favourite modes such as 2K Showcase, MyGM, MyFaction, MyRise, and Universe will also be included in the Switch 2 release. The Standard Edition is priced at $69.99 and includes the base game. Those who pre-order this edition will also receive the Wyatt Sicks Pack, featuring five playable superstars and themed items for 'The Island'. Moreover, the Deadman Edition, retailing at $99.99, expands on the base offering with extra content including persona cards for Mattel Elite 'Greatest Hits' Undertaker and Original Undertaker ('90), an interactive Urn object, Undertaker's '95 Mask for in-game use, and Brother Love as a manager. It also comes bundled with the Season Pass for post-launch DLC and 15,000 in-game VC. At the top end, The Bloodline Edition is priced at $129.99 and includes all content from the previous editions, as well as the Ringside Pass and The Rock Nation of Domination Pack. This premium version also includes exclusive persona cards for Mattel Elite Series 114 Jey Uso and Roman Reigns, additional cosmetic items, and the forthcoming WrestleMania 41 Pack, which will add new playable superstars and the WrestleMania 41 arena at a later date. The arrival of WWE 2K25 on the Switch 2 continues Nintendo's efforts to strengthen the console's third-party game library. Since its release on 5 June, the hybrid handheld has seen key titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Split Fiction make their debut. Later this month, Nintendo is also set to launch the console-exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza. The wrestling title had been confirmed for the Switch 2 earlier this year during Nintendo's full reveal of the console in April, following growing demand for more AAA titles on the platform.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Still Want a Nintendo Switch 2? Best Buy Will Have Them In Stores on July 1
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. If you're tired of trying to buy Nintendo's Switch 2 from online retailers, Best Buy plans on selling the console in-store at select locations tomorrow, July 1. The company confirmed the sale to PCMag after Best Buy's website quietly announced it. However, not every store will have the Switch 2; check Best Buy's for your local store. Each participating store will open at their regular times, Best Buy's spokesperson says. No midnight launch this time. Nintendo's Switch 2 has been hard to find in stock since its June 5 launch, especially online. Currently, the websites for Target, Walmart, and Best Buy show the console sold out in the US. As a result, gamers have had to rely on online inventory checkers or visits to their local retailers in the hopes they have Switch 2s in stock. Meanwhile, scalpers on eBay are trying to resell their own Switch 2 units for over $600. (The Switch 2 retails for $449.99.) Best Buy warns it'll only have 'limited quantities' available. So if you're really desperate, consider getting up early or camping out at the participating stores to nab the Switch 2. The console is also being sold as a bundle with Mario Kart World for $499. If you're hoping Amazon will offer the Switch 2, don't count on it. Bloomberg reports that Nintendo has pulled its products from the site because Amazon was allegedly allowing third-party merchants to sell Switch games that had been purchased at lower prices in South Asia.
