Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is proud to announce the Lexar PLAY microSD card. The Lexar PLAY microSDXC UHS-I Card is designed to keep up with all your content, no matter if they are games, movies, music or books. Avoid slow load times with read speeds of up to 150 MB/s and fast A1 or A2-rated performance, so you can play more of what you love without missing a beat. With large capacities up to 1 TB you can save all your favorite content and is ideal for portable gaming devices, smartphones, and tablets.

Cut down delays with fast transfer speeds of up to 150 MB/s and get A1 or A2-rated performance, so you can load apps faster on your mobile devices and play more of what you love without missing a beat. "The Lexar PLAY microSDXC Card is the perfect solution for gamers looking to take their game to the next level. It is compatible with the Nintendo Switch and other portable gaming devices including phones and tablets. With capacity options up to 1 TB, you can continue to game without running out of storage space," said Joel Boquiren, General Manager of Lexar.

Western Digital has teamed up with Respawn Entertainment to create an Apex Legends -themed memory card for the Nintendo Switch, offering gamers and contenders across the Outlands expanded storage solutions just in time for the universally acclaimed battle royale game to drop into the Nintendo eShop next month.

Featuring the distinctive Apex Legends insignia, players can squad up and battle for glory with the microSDXC card which offers up to 128 GB of expanded storage. Whether it's existing fans who want to ready themselves to jump into the action, or new players looking to compete in the Apex Games for the first time, this microSDXC card ensures any gamer is equipped with the additional space they need to take on more adventures or challenges on their Nintendo Switch system.

Yuzu is an experimental Nintendo Switch emulator from the creators of the Citra 3DS emulator. The emulator has come a long way since the early days with more games becoming supported and general performance improvements. The first major update of 2021 brings a rewrite of the buffer cache along with general bug fixes and stability improvements. The new buffer cache was tested with the Ryzen 5 3400G and resulted in an average performance improvement of 89% for tested games with the average FPS rising to 30. These improvements should greatly benefit those with lower-end hardware and are likely to increase in the future as the emulator is further developed.

The Nintendo Switch was announced by Nintendo in October 2016 before releasing worldwide in March 2017. The hybrid console has been well-received and is now on track to become one of if not the best selling console of all time. Nintendo recently revealed during a financial report that the console had sold 79.87 million units after 46 months on the market. This compares favorably with the PS4 at ~67 million, the PS2 at ~69.5 million, and the Wii at ~75 million units at 46 months after their releases. When compared to Nintendo's other consoles only the DS manages to outsell the Switch at ~83 million units sold 46 months after release. The Nintendo Switch has eclipsed the Wii U in sale numbers which only reached ~13.3 million.

SteelSeries, the leader in gaming peripherals, today announces its acquisition of KontrolFreek, the industry leader in high-performance controller accessories. This acquisition bolsters SteelSeries' already strong presence in the console gaming market, and further equips it for success in the next generation of consoles. This is SteelSeries' second major acquisition this year, after purchasing A-Volute, creators of Nahimic and the leading independent developer of 3D sound solutions for gaming, in April.

For nearly two decades, SteelSeries has been a frontrunner in the gaming industry, offering high-quality gaming peripherals to pro and enthusiast gamers across PC and console. Its SteelSeries Engine software platform has millions of daily users and is integrated with popular games and applications. Over the years, the company has built a strong brand and has leveraged this to outpace category growth globally. The award-winning Arctis line of gaming headsets redefined the category and is the new standard of excellence in gaming audio hardware. KontrolFreek is the creator of globally-renowned Performance Gaming Gear, including Performance Thumbsticks, Precision Rings, Performance Grips, Gaming Cables, and other high-quality products for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC. KontrolFreek's controller accessories give gamers solutions that increase precision, accuracy and response time, regardless of platform.

Nintendo has launched limited game streaming trials with the Nintendo Switch in Japan however these have tended to be prohibitively expensive and were never offered outside of Japan. That is all changing with the launch of Control Ultimate Edition from Remedy Entertainment which is only available as a cloud version. The game is streamed from Ubitus servers to the Nintendo Switch at 30 FPS with the choice of a graphical or performance mode.

The graphical mode features limited raytracing enabled by the server GPUs which would not be possible with the local hardware. used by Ubitus, Control Ultimate Edition - Cloud Version is now available via the Nintendo eShop for players in North America, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and parts of Europe. The game is offered as a free download to test connection requirements but to play you will require a 39.99 USD Access Pass.

TEAMGROUP is launching two new products today: the blazing-fast Gaming A2 CARD designed for the growing number of competitive gamers and the magnetic SSD Adaptor, which provides PC building enthusiasts and consumers space for quick and comfortable SSD installation. To take the lead in the competitive gaming hardware market, TEAMGROUP adopted novel approaches and considered the needs of different users to create these one-of-a-kind products for the T-FORCE Series product line.

Recognizing the booming development of the mobile gaming industry combined with the mass adoption of smartphones, T-FORCE has seized the opportunity to launch the first microSD memory card designed specifically for mobile gamers with the Gaming A2 CARD. It has read/write speeds up to 100/90 MB/s and the UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) ratings, meaning players will be able to use it to instantly record games in 4K video. In addition to being excellent for recording long sessions, the card also offers 256 GB and 512 GB of storage and is capable of random read/write speeds of over 4000 IOPS and 2000 IOPS, respectively, easily meeting A2 standards. The Gaming A2 CARD is optimized for mobile applications and devices, such as Android smartphones and tablets, the 100% compatible Nintendo Switch, and other portable gaming devices. With this specially designed card, storage for all these devices can be easily expanded for a more enjoyable and smoother gaming experience.

It's time for players of all skill levels to lace up their boots and step into the ring: WWE 2K Battlegrounds is here! Developed by Saber Interactive and available now for the PlayStation 4 system, the Xbox One family of devices, including the Xbox One X and Windows PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch system and Stadia for $39.99, WWE 2K Battlegrounds brings fast-paced action and an assortment of power-ups, special moves, unconventional melee items and interactive environments to take the brawl to the next level. Players can take on the challenges alone or compete with friends and family on the couch or online in cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes.

"We're excited to add WWE 2K Battlegrounds to 2K's growing portfolio of WWE and licensed sports properties, and to offer yet another way for gamers to enjoy WWE video game action," said David Ismailer, President at 2K. "This arcade-style brawler offers a completely different experience from our WWE 2K simulation franchise and WWE SuperCard collectible card battling game, that we're confident fans will enjoy."

Nintendo is reportedly planning to release an upgraded Switch model in early 2021 according to a new report from Taiwanese news outlet Economic Daily News. The new SKU will feature internal flash memory from Macronix and is rumored to receive an upgraded screen, along with enhancements to interactivity features such as haptics, sensors, and the JoyCon controllers. It is currently unknown if this upgrade will replace the base Nintendo Switch as we saw with the battery upgrade in 2019 or if it will be the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro. The possibility of an upgraded model is plausible given that the Nintendo Switch was launched back in 2017 but it is unlikely to compete with next-generation consoles, as with any rumor be sure to take it with a grain of salt until Nintendo officially announces anything.

2K today announced that WWE 2K Battlegrounds, the arcade-style brawler that will bring over-the-top WWE action to a new level of intensity, will release worldwide on September 18, 2020 for the PlayStation 4 system, the Xbox One family of devices, including the Xbox One X and Windows PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch system and Stadia. Featuring a roster of more than 70 WWE Superstars and Legends at launch, with additional Superstars to be released thereafter, WWE 2K Battlegrounds is now available for pre-order in digital formats and at participating retailers.

Eight unique Battlegrounds environments play a major role in the action, many of them featuring interactive elements adding to the mayhem alongside a variety of outrageous melee weapons players can use to pummel opponents. Soar from military helicopters, smash opponents with cars in an auto shop and toss them into the jaws of a hungry alligator in the swamp. Bombastic play-by-play is provided by WWE commentators Mauro Ranallo and Jerry "The King" Lawler to complete the mood.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the release of new Electro Punk peripherals with a striking black-and-pink color scheme. First introduced in April, the Electro Punk colors can now be found on the ROG Strix Go 2.4 gaming headset, ROG Strix Scope TKL gaming keyboard, ROG Strix Impact II gaming mouse and other gaming and lifestyle accessories.

ROG Strix Go 2.4 Electro Punk is a USB-C 2.4 GHz wireless headset that enables stable, lag-free audio on smart devices, PC, Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox or Nintendo Switch (in Handheld mode). The Electro Punk edition features pink piping in and around the headband, ear pads, and ROG logo to give it that a special touch, while the rest stays bold black to prevent stains. Strix Go 2.4 has a detachable boom mic powered by AI Noise-Canceling technology that intelligently eliminates unwanted background noise for clear voice communication for work or play.

The Nintendo Switch has proven to be a very popular hybrid gaming console with sales surpassing the SNES, N64, GameCube & Wii U. The console is currently sold out at many retailers across the world thanks in part to a monumental surge in demand for the console arising from lockdowns due to the coronavirus. VideoGamesChronicle reports that Nintendo Switch sales have more than doubled in the first half of 2020 compared to the first six months of last year in the UK.

This will bring the Nintendo Switch closer to overtaking the Nintendo Entertainment System in lifetime hardware sales. Traditional game consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One also saw significant hardware sales increases of around 50% and 25% respectively. Game sales were also up 48% across the board for the first four months of 2020.

During Electronic Arts Play 2020 event, Respawn, the maker of popular battle royale Apex legends, has announced that Apex Legends is getting cross-play support. Not only that, but Respawn is now launching Apex Legends on Steam and Nintendo Switch platforms so the cross-play can be bigger than ever. Now, players that use either PC (Steam or EA Origin), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, can be brought together and play against each other. However, Respawn didn't just announce the cross-play support. Along with it, they have announced a new seasonal event called the "Lost Treasures Collection". In this event, players get a new game mode called "Armed and Dangerous Evolved". This game mode allows for new player abilities and resurrection of knocked out players. You can find more about it in the video below.

When it comes to competitive gaming, sound is survival - and JBL knows great sound. Today, the company announced the launch of first-ever JBL headset range in India designed exclusively for gamers, featuring the JBL QuantumSOUND Signature. The JBL Quantum Range delivers immersive audio quality and pinpoint accuracy to provide a true competitive advantage. From the thrill of tracking enemies in FPS games, to engaging in epic MOBA battles, the JBL Quantum Range amplifies victories with a sound experience that transforms each headset into a crown for the everyday champion.

The launch follows an exciting announcement of the JBL's association with lifestyle power brand and gaming organization "100 Thieves" bringing on board some of the top competitive global gamers in the industry. The exciting new range will cater to a burgeoning gaming industry in the country. The online gaming segment was estimated to be a $1.1 billion opportunity by 2021, according to a Google-KPMG report in 2017, which is now expected to increase at much faster pace. With one of the world's largest youth population, India is poised to become one of the world's leading markets in the gaming sector.

ABKONCORE is an fast rising gaming PC hardware brand with gear for serious gaming and e-sports competitions. They bring TechPowerUp readers a chance to pick up two of their best purpose-built gaming headsets at heavily discounted prices. The ABKONCORE B719 is geared toward high-end PC gaming, Macs, smartphones, and consoles that include Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. It combines a pair of 50 mm neodymium drivers with a virtual 7.1-channel USB sound card with a plethora of game genre optimized DSPs. The USB connection also powers the headset's RGB LED lighting. Its mic offers noise-cancellation for crystal-clear squad comms.

The other headset on sale is the CH713M, geared towards competitive e-sports gaming. Much like the B719, the CH713M features a virtual 7.1-channel USB sound card, but wired to 50 mm dual-chamber drivers, and an extremely durable cable. It is optimized not just for gaming PCs, but also Macs, smartphones, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch. The included USB DAC with both headsets ensures lifelike 7.1 virtual surround that other headsets with analog 3.5 mm stereo jacks can't offer. Both the B719 and CH713M offer base rumble effects. The B719 is normally listed at USD $69.99 on Amazon, but TechPowerUp readers can use the early-bird coupon code to get it for just $48.99 (a 30% discount)! Likewise, the CH713M is priced at $59.99, but TechPowerUp readers can have it for $38.99 (35% off)! Hurry, the offer is open thru June 26, or until stocks last!

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2K today announced the Sid Meier's Civilization VI - New Frontier Pass, a new season pass that brings eight new civilizations, nine new leaders, six new game modes and more to the critically-acclaimed strategy game. Content will be released in six downloadable (DLC) packs delivered on a bimonthly basis starting May 21, 2020 through March 2021.

"It's been four years since we first announced Civilization VI, and the support from fans and players has been overwhelming," said Ed Beach, franchise lead designer at Firaxis Games. "After two giant expansions in Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm, four years' worth of balance updates and more, Civilization VI has grown into the flagship title for the series."

Sales of Nintendo's hybrid console the Nintendo Switch have surged with combined sales of 55.77 million units worldwide. The Nintendo Switch family of systems which includes the Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch Lite sold 21.03 million units last year which reflects a 24.0% increase in sales from the previous year, this was likely due in part to the launch of the Switch Lite and the recent demand from the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Software sales saw an even more impressive jump of 42.3% over the previous year with 168.72 million units sold this year which brings lifetime software sales for the Nintendo Switch to 356.24 million units. Animal Crossing: New Horizons along with other best-selling games all saw strong success. These numbers put the Nintendo Switch ahead of the failed Wii U, GameCube, Nintendo 64, and SNES. The switch is also quickly approaching the NES and will probably take its spot to become the second best-selling home console Nintendo has ever produced right after the original Wii.

According to the report of DigiTimes, which talked about TSMC's 5 nm silicon manufacturing node, they have reported that NVIDIA is also going to be a customer for it and they could use it in the near future. And that is very interesting information, knowing that these chips will not go in the next generation of GPUs. Why is that? Because we know that NVIDIA will utilize both TSMC and Samsung for their 7 nm manufacturing nodes for its next-generation Ampere GPUs that will end up in designs like GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 graphics cards. These designs are not what NVIDIA needs 5 nm for.

Being that NVIDIA already has a product in its pipeline that will satisfy the demand for the high-performance graphics market, maybe they are planning something that will end up being a surprise to everyone. No one knows what it is, however, the speculation (which you should take with a huge grain of salt) would be that NVIDIA is updating its Tegra SoC with the latest node. That Tegra SoC could be used in a range of mobile devices, like the Nintendo Switch, so could NVIDIA be preparing a new chip for Nintendo Switch 2?

Polish game studio CD Projekt, behind the smash-hit "The Witcher" game franchise and 2020's most anticipated game, "Cyberpunk 2077," turned a handsome profit in 2019. The studio reported 521 million PLN (roughly USD $125 million) in sales for the fiscal year 2019, which the company says is a 44 percent growth over 2018. Its consolidated net profit increased by 60 percent over 2018, to 175 million PLN ($42 million). Interestingly, CD Projekt attributes its growth to sales of "The Witcher 3," particularly its Nintendo Switch release, and "GWENT" on mobile. Pre-orders of "Cyberpunk 2077" will stream cash into CDPR's coffers, leading up to its September 2020 release.

HyperX made a splash at CES 2020 with several innovations. The star-attraction was the ChargePlay Clutch, an innovative Nintendo Switch battery dock that lets you extend your gaming session by augmenting a hot-swappable battery-pack. This battery pack has a Qi certified wireless charging receptacle, and the separately-purchasable ChargePlay Qi dock lets you charge up to two battery packs in one go. You can also split the contraption into two, such that the head unit sits on a table with a kick-stand, while the two JoyCons get grips of their own.

The HyperX Cloud Flight S is another innovative gaming peripheral for those on the move. It is an around-the-ear headset with a conventional mic stock. One of the two cans has a Qi wireless charging receptacle so you can charge it on any Qi-compatible charging surface. The internal batteries provide up to 30 hours of use on a full charge. The internal DAC provides a virtual 7.1 surround sound, while the NGenuity software lets you control its RGB illuminated HyperX logos.

Creative Technology today announced the release of Sound Blaster G3, a portable gaming USB DAC Amp that marks the latest addition to the Sound Blaster revolution ignited 30 years ago. Designed and built with game console users in mind, Sound Blaster G3 is the first Sound Blaster that works directly on PS4 and Nintendo Switch via a driverless plug-and-play format, and is also compatible with PC and Mac. Palm-sized and weighing in at a mere 32 grams, it boasts a great balance of the fabled Sound Blaster audio signature, on-the-go customization and other nifty gaming features at an attractive price tag.

Venom has announced the launch of the Sabre Stereo Gaming Headset, a new premium gaming headset for use with a wide variety of formats including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and PC, due to go on sale November 1st 2019. Already well established for their range of great-value gaming headsets, the Sabre offers gamers a distinctly higher-end experience at the price of £29.99, without the exorbitant price point typically associated with a headset of such distinction.

Delivering quality and features unrivalled at the price point, the Sabre looks, feels and sounds every inch a premium product, from the quality metal, self-adjusting headband which adapts to the users head size, greatly cushioned foam ear-cups for sustained comfort, even for glasses and piercing wearers. Powerful 50 mm Neodymium Drivers offer superbly rich audio and chat quality whether you're gaming, listening to music or watching movies.

Razer today released the Razer Tetra, an ultra-lightweight chat headset with pro-grade microphone for crystal-clear team communication on all platforms including PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile devices.

The Razer Tetra is a single-ear console chat headset, designed for gamers wishing to enjoy their home audio set-up but still communicate with their teammates. Lots of gamers have an extensive surround sound speaker system set-up to enjoy immersive movie and game audio, and while many use a headset for game sound and communications, some prefer the big sound experience from their media systems. With today's multiplayer games, communication with teammates is key. The Razer Tetra delivers crystal-clear communications even in the loudest of audio set-ups. The cardioid microphone is tuned for a focused voice-pickup range, reducing ambient noises from the sides and back, giving superior voice clarity over traditional chat headsets. An in-line volume control gives gamers full access to all important settings during the battle at the touch of a finger, with a volume slider and mic-mute function to tune the audio during play.

Flight School Studio have released today their unique pinball hack and slash Creature in the Well on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Steam for $14.99 USD. The title is also available for free to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Windows 10 PC and Xbox One.

As the last remaining BOT-C unit, venture deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility, haunted by a desperate Creature. Uncover and upgrade powerful gear in order to free the city of Mirage from a deadly sandstorm.

The world could always use more heroes-and starting October 15, Nintendo Switch players will be able to join more than 40 million players from around the globe in the fight for the future with the arrival of Overwatch Legendary Edition.

Overwatch Legendary Edition puts the definitive version of Blizzard Entertainment's acclaimed team shooter in Nintendo Switch owners' hands, complete with the latest content and gameplay updates. Players will select from a roster of 31 vibrant heroes as they face off in a variety of casual and competitive multiplayer modes and battle over map objectives in 28 different locations around the earth (and on the moon).