TechPowerUp's team conducted research to find out how the market for handheld consoles performs and where its users are mostly going. The large community poll of 22,649 PC gamers, asking a simple "Do you game on a handheld console?" paints a solid picture of the customer base that a handheld console maker can expect. The majority, at 65.3% of the polled gamers, have chosen the option "No," indicating that two-thirds of PC gamers spend time on their main desktop or notebook PCs without using an additional handheld console. Among the 34.7% of respondents (7,852 votes) who game on the go, Valve's Steam Deck leads with 2,798 votes (35.6%), narrowly edging out Nintendo's Switch at 2,785 votes (35.5%).

ASUS's ROG Ally follows with 913 votes (11.6%), while "Other" devices, including Android emulators, retro‑focused units like the Analogue Pocket, and various mini‑PC handhelds, account for 810 votes (10.3%). Boutique Windows handhelds trail further behind, with the Lenovo Legion Go claiming 280 votes (3.6%) and the MSI Claw 266 votes (3.4%). Out of the entire fleet of these handhelds, only the Nintendo Switch is a real console. Others are mini portable PCs, which can serve functionality far beyond those of a console. Gamers are fond of the added functionality, which is why the Steam Deck, running Linux and Windows-based handhelds from ASUS, MSI, Lenovo, and others, are so popular.

Despite the Nintendo Switch 2 offering rather modest specifications by today's standards, even for a handheld gaming device, it has already broken console sales records with over 3.5 million sales in its first four days on the market. The on-paper specs claim that the Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of 120 Hz, promising a sizeable upgrade over the 60 FPS display of the original Switch and Switch OLED. Recent testing by Monitors Unboxed and Digital Foundry, however, reveal that these claims may be less than honest, since the handheld console's real-world performance falls short by a fair margin.

The most noticeable issue with the Nintendo Switch 2's display is the response times. Despite having a 120 Hz display, Monitors Unboxed found in its testing that the display achieved an average response time of as high as 33 ms. While testing was conducted at 60 FPS, the response times even fall short of this low bar, with 16.67 ms being the slowest response time required for the pixels to refresh between frames such as to avoid blur or smearing. Even the original Nintendo Switch manages faster response times, with an average of 21.3 ms. This is further exemplified by the Blur Busters test conducted by Monitors Unboxed, where significant loss of detail can be seen in fast-moving objects. Brightness was better on the Switch 2 in Monitors Unboxed's testing, measuring in at around 400 nits, but contrast is less than spectacular, with contrast ratios measuring in at just 1068:1. Color performance was also good on the new Switch 2, with 97.6% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, however HDR performance suffered from the relatively low brightness and a lack of color management, which makes Switch 1 games seem more saturated than intended.

Today, 2K and Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4 is now available for pre-order. The next installment in the critically and commercially-successful franchise that started a new genre of games will launch worldwide on September 12, 2025 via PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. It will also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 later in 2025.

"I've been blown away by how high the team at Gearbox have raised the bar for Borderlands 4," said David Ismailer, President of 2K. "The development team crafted a premium AAA adventure that evolves the series' gameplay and storytelling in new ways, while delivering on the quintessential Borderlands looter-shooter experience fans know and love."

In the four days following its June 5 launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 game system sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide, becoming the fastest-selling Nintendo game system ever.

Nintendo Switch 2 features a larger, vivid screen capable of full 1080p high-definition display (and 4K when connected to a compatible TV or monitor), a faster processor that allows for enhanced graphics and gameplay performance, and redesigned magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers with mouse functionality. The system also debuts the new GameChat feature, where players can voice or video chat and share game screens with friends online, bringing the feeling of playing together in the same room even if their friends and family are miles away.

Today, Nintendo launched its first brand-new gaming platform in eight years with Nintendo Switch 2, and the latest Mario Kart game for consoles in over a decade with Mario Kart World. Nintendo Switch 2 brings to life new ways to connect and play with friends and family with new features and reimagined online capabilities such as GameChat. Mario Kart World allows players to hit the road in a vast interconnected playground where the world is their racetrack. Further, the Nintendo Switch 2 launch lineup features acclaimed titles from Nintendo's global publishing and development partners, such as Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and more. Together, these new experiences mark a leap forward in Nintendo's mission to deliver smiles to people the world over - All Together, Anytime, Anywhere.

Last night, Nintendo held the first-ever simultaneous launch event that took place at the newly opened Nintendo SAN FRANCISCO, and Nintendo NEW YORK with activations in Rockefeller Center. Fans that attended the coast-to-coast celebration were among the first to usher in this new chapter for Nintendo games. The event culminated when the first systems and games were purchased at 9 p.m. PT in San Francisco and 12 a.m. ET in New York. Each event featured photo ops, and gameplay for Nintendo Switch 2 launch games including Mario Kart World and titles from Nintendo's global publishing and development partners. Photos from the event are included with press materials for this announcement.

Retro enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the legendary brand Atari is doing well and remains strong, as the company has announced preliminary revenue of approximately $36 million for fiscal year 2025, an increase of 60% from the previous year that marked the company's highest revenue level in over a decade. This was mainly due to the Games Division which generated about $29 million in revenue. Atari implemented in 2022 a retro-centered strategy which now seems to be starting to pay off. The company released several titles including remakes of classic games such as Yars Rising and Breakout Beyond. The beloved Roller Coaster Tycoon franchise is now available on new platforms including Nintendo Switch. Atari also made some interesting acquisitions. Through Digital Eclipse, they've released titles such as the playable documentary Tetris Forever, while also releasing Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, Volgarr the Viking II, two DLCs for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind. Meanwhile, the Nightdive Studios contributed with successful releases such as PO'ed, Killing Time, and The Thing: Remastered.

In the hardware area, Atari launched the Atari 7800+ retro console with 10 new game cartridges, continuing its cartridge-based platform expansion. In the future Atari plans to launch new hardware projects to expand the Atari "Plus" platform. The company also secured new partnerships, including collaboration with Netflix for mobile and cloud gaming distribution. Recent acquisitions include the Intellivision brand and game catalog, plus publishing rights for several modern indie titles under the relaunched Infogrames label. So for those retro-nostalgic gamers and Atari fans, there's at least a shiny pixelated light, as Wade Rosen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, believes that the best is yet to come: "By focusing on areas where we have both a passion for the product and a competitive edge, we are building solid momentum which I believe will lead to lasting success in the years to come."

It looks as though the uphill battle that is the Nintendo Switch 2 launch is not over yet. While backwards compatibility with the original Switch game library, consisting of 122 first-party games and over 15,000 third-party games, was a major highlight for those eager for a Switch 2, it seems as though it isn't as cut-and-dry as simply loading the games onto the Switch 2. Nintendo has been testing the entire game library in order to inform Switch 2 buyers what they'll be able to play at launch. According to a recently updated Nintendo support article, the Switch 2 will ditch support for video streaming sites Crunchyroll, Hulu, Niconico, and Abema, as well as manga and comic reader, InkyPen, and the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04 VR Kit.

While a number of other titles Nintendo tested seemingly won't work immediately like Fortnite, for which there is a Switch 2 version planned, Nintendo is drawing a line between apps that won't work at launch but will be fixed at a later date, and apps that will not work on the Switch 2. As for the aforementioned video streaming apps, Nintendo says that they "Cannot be used on Nintendo Switch 2," while the Labo VR Kit will likely need a physical design revision for the Switch 2, since the original kit was designed for hardware compatibility with the first-gen Switch. It's unclear if video streaming and other media consumption apps, like Crunchyroll and Hulu, will be blocked from the Switch 2 entirely, or if the developers and publishers could work around the new Switch 2 hardware to publish updated versions. The hybrid console form factor of the Switch and Switch 2 theoretically make Nintendo's consoles uniquely suited to video streaming, since they can be docked, and consoles like the Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are both capable of operating as standalone home theater systems. It only makes sense for Nintendo to compete in the same regard, but without the apps to support such use cases, the Switch 2 cannot do that. Currently, the Switch 2 is slated to become widely available on June 5, with pre-orders already available—and largely sold out—in some regions.

The Nintendo Switch 2 hybrid console is due to launch globally next Wednesday (June 4). The highly anticipated next-gen handheld is powered by a custom NVIDIA processor. To the surprise of many industry watchdogs, both parties have semi-recently disclosed a couple of technical details regarding their fruitful hardware collaboration. Historically, Nintendo has guarded many aspects of its past generation hardware. Throughout the 2020s, data miners and leakers have unearthed plenty of pre-release information—leading to theories about the Switch 2 chipset's origins. During the Switch 1 era, TSMC was the chosen manufacturing partner. NVIDIA's off-the-shelf Tegra X1 mobile SoC powered the first wave of Nintendo Switch (2017) devices, in 20 nm form. A 2019 revision resulted in Switch Lite and (refreshed) Switch models being equipped with a more efficient 16 nm solution, also present within 2023's premium OLED variant.

Since then, Switch 2's alleged NVIDIA Tegra T239 SoC was linked to a Samsung 8 nm node process. Earlier this month, extremely brave Chinese leakers produced "full die shot" evidence of South Korean foundry origins. Bloomberg insider news articles have implied that Samsung Semi's mature 8 nm FinFET node is better suited—rather than an equivalent TSMC product—for the Switch 2's custom NVIDIA chipset. Unnamed sources have mentioned critical factors; namely stable production and process compatibility. Industry moles reckon that Samsung leadership is actively and aggressively pushing for a longer Switch 2 chipset production deal. Renewed terms could include a future die shrink; pre-launch analysis indicates a sizeable 207 mm² footprint. Beyond foundry biz negotiations, additional murmurs suggest company executives dangling an OLED panel supply agreement. Industry experts have viewed Samsung's key entry—into the gaming console chip market—as a seismic development. A DigiTimes article dives into a so-called "tripartite cooperation"—involving Nintendo, NVIDIA, and the South Korean semiconductor giant. The Samsung Foundry has floundered and struggled in recent times, but is keen to catch up with its arch rival. Fresh rumors have AMD and Sony considering Samsung's chip making channels; possibly with futuristic PlayStation hardware in mind.

We're excited to announce that DRAGON QUEST HD-2D Remake launches October 30, 2025, for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on Windows. Read on to learn a little more about the game and how to get it.
What is DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake?

DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake reimagines the first two DRAGON QUEST games with the beautiful HD-2D visual style featured in titles like OCTOPATH TRAVELER series, TRIANGLE STRATEGY, LIVE A LIVE and, of course, DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake.

Not long after Nintendo's comprehensive Switch 2 showcase, official product descriptions were edited. The removal of Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support for TVs (in docked mode) from official websites proved to be highly confusing. At the time (around mid-April), the company did not release any explanatory material. Industry watchdogs anticipated a future firmware update, that would eventually restore docked mode VRR capabilities (over HDMI). In the meantime, the hybrid console's surprisingly capable integrated display would provide the only gateway into VRR-elevated gaming experiences—courtesy of NVIDIA G-SYNC tech. Late last week, Nintendo Life shared an official update—sourced from a company spokesperson: "Nintendo Switch 2 supports VRR in handheld mode only. The incorrect information was initially published on the Nintendo Switch 2 website, and we apologize for the error."

It is not clear why it has taken over a month to provide clarification, but the online publication did send in a query. When asked about a possible post-release fix, the Nintendo representative replied with a curt answer: "we have nothing to announce on this topic." Last week, the Digital Foundry team surmised that the much-anticipated Switch successor would not launch with a previously advertised feature. Commenting on this missing spec point, Richard Leadbetter elaborated: "something that is important to clarify is that as far as Switch 2 developers are concerned, VRR is indeed a function of the internal display only and that there is no support at all right now for VRR over HDMI...The best theory we have for this is that the dock's DisplayPort to HDMI converter doesn't support standard HDMI VRR, but whatever is the cause, we would hope to see Nintendo provide some sort of solution in due course."

AVerMedia Technologies, Inc., a pioneer in digital video and audio convergence, is thrilled to announce its latest collaboration with CAMO Studio, the powerful and intuitive streaming app developed by Reincubate. This partnership brings together AVerMedia's newly launched GO-Series—a lineup of ultraportable Type-C streaming gear—and CAMO's cutting-edge mobile streaming software to deliver the ultimate on-the-go content creation experience.

This collaboration highlights the synergy between AVerMedia's ELITE GO (GC313Pro) and the CAMO Studio App for iPad/Tablet—offering a truly laptop-free streaming solution for creators, gamers, and professionals who want to broadcast directly from handheld consoles, phones, or tablets.

With the launch scheduled for June 5, Nintendo has quietly confirmed the final technical details for its next-generation hybrid console, the Switch 2, clarifying the specifications of the "custom NVIDIA processor" at its core and specifying exactly how much horsepower developers can access. The Switch 2's SoC is officially labeled the NVIDIA T239, a custom iteration of the Ampere architecture rather than a repurposed Tegra. It contains eight Arm Cortex‑A78C cores running a 64‑bit ARMv8 instruction set, with cryptography extensions enabled and no support for 32‑bit code. Each core features 64 KB of L1 instruction cache and 64 KB of L1 data cache. Six cores are available for game development, while two are reserved for system tasks. Clock speeds reach 998 MHz in handheld mode and 1,101 MHz when docked, and the CPU can theoretically burst to 1,700 MHz for demanding operations or future updates.

Graphics are powered by a full Ampere‑based GPU with 1,536 CUDA cores. Clock speeds top out at 1,007 MHz in docked mode and 561 MHz in handheld mode, delivering approximately 3.07 TeraFLOPS when docked and 1.71 TeraFLOPS in portable use. As with the CPU, a portion of GPU resources is allocated to operating system functions, slightly reducing the amount available for applications. Memory capacity has increased from 4 GB of LPDDR4 in the original Switch to 12 GB of LPDDR5X in the new model, split across two 6 GB modules. Peak bandwidth measures 102 GB/s docked and 68 GB/s handheld. Of the total, 3 GB are reserved for system functions and 9 GB are dedicated to games and applications. Nintendo has also introduced a dedicated File Decompression Engine for LZ4‑compressed data, offloading asset unpacking from the CPU to improve loading times without overheating the chipset. The console ships with 256 GB of UFS storage, expandable via microSD Express up to 2 TB, and features a 7.9‑inch, 1080p LCD that supports HDR10 and up to 120 Hz variable refresh rate in handheld mode. Although HDMI VRR is not yet available, the internal display fully supports it.

NACON, a leader in premium gaming accessories and parent of the RIG audio brand, announces the new RIG 400 GEN2 Series. Successors to the best-selling camo gaming headsets, the new generation headsets are available in two soft-touch camo designs, Arctic Camo and Urban Camo, exclusively at Walmart stores and Walmart.com.

The 400 GEN2 delivers epic game audio with powerful 40 mm audio drivers and crystal-clear comms via a redesigned flip-to-mute microphone. Gamers can seamlessly connect with squad mates across platforms with a universal 3.5 mm audio jack, built to plug and play on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and more.
Designed for extended gaming sessions, the 400 GEN2 features redesigned oval earcups that form comfortably around the ear. The signature snap-fit sizing and a cushioned headband ensure a perfect fit for all head sizes, offering unmatched comfort and durability.

Nintendo has released firmware update 20.0.0 for the Switch console and it brings several exciting new features. First up are Virtual Game Cards. Every game you buy digitally, along with specific DLC and free titles, now shows up as a virtual game card in its own menu. You can load or eject these cards on up to two linked consoles and lend them to family members on your Nintendo Account or to friends outside your group for up to 14 days. When the loan period ends, the game disappears from their library, but your saved data stays safe on their system. Next is GameShare, which only a Switch 2 owner can start. Once a Switch 2 user launches a compatible game, they can invite any nearby Switch or Switch 2 player to join in over local wireless. Only the host needs to own the game, and there doesn't seem to be a limit on how many players can connect. It's a simple way to play together without everyone having to buy the same title.

There are some visual changes on the HOME Menu as well. New icons for Virtual Game Cards and GameShare have appeared. The eShop icon switched from yellow to red, and the New Features icon now appears in green. Also, every installed title, be it physical or digital, now features a small blue Game Card icon, making it clear what's in your collection. With the Switch 2 launching on June 5, Nintendo has added a "System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2" option under System Settings. This wizard guides you through uploading all your user profiles and saving files, screenshots, videos, and system settings to Nintendo's servers. Once complete, your old Switch resets to factory settings and the new console downloads everything back.

PowerA is proud to reveal the final addition to its PAC-MAN x PowerA Collection: the Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch - PAC-MAN Neon Arcade Edition. Designed for retro gaming collectors and Nintendo Switch players alike, this officially licensed controller celebrates PAC-MAN's legacy with nostalgic style and modern performance.

With signature Lumectra Ghost RGB LED lighting, a hidden PAC-MAN design, and premium features for today's players, the Neon Arcade Edition is the third and final product in the collectible lineup.

Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation today revealed 16 new gaming headsets and controllers, further expanding the brand's already broad lineup of top-rated, best-selling products for gamers playing on Nintendo Switch systems, Xbox consoles, and Windows PCs.

"Our team at Turtle Beach is excited to unveil another big wave of innovative new gaming accessories that will enhance gamers' experiences," said Cris Keirn, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. "All of our new gaming accessories unveiled today represent a clear dedication from Turtle Beach to exceed expectations and deliver products with competitive features, affordable high-quality builds, and amazing aesthetics."

Developer ClockStone and publisher Headup are announcing their engineering puzzle and creative sandbox game Bridge Constructor Studio will be available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, GOG, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox this summer. The game originally launched on Meta Quest at the end of last year.

Bridge Constructor Studio is the latest entry in the best-selling Bridge Constructor series. Players put their engineering skills to the test as they design their own constructions in animated 3D mini-dioramas, then start the simulation to watch their creations face the ultimate stability challenge.

Take a bow! The hand-crafted world of Once Upon a Puppet takes center stage today as the game officially launches on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam Deck. The Nintendo Switch version will be released early June 2025, giving players just a bit more time before the curtains rise on the portable stage. We will be updating you on the exact release date in the coming weeks.

Developed by Flatter Than Earth and published by Daedalic Entertainment, Once Upon a Puppet invites players into a magical theatrical realm full of danger, discovery, and unexpected transformations. Combining inventive thread-based mechanics, dual-character puzzles, and a rich, hand-animated world, the game offers a heartfelt and eerie journey through a forgotten puppet kingdom.

As the subject title says, Old Skies has officially launched on Steam and GOG! Join ChronoZen agent Fia Quinn on a time-travel adventure spanning 200 years. Old Skies is a story of love, loss and legacy. Plus it's 10% off during the first week! Dive into the past with time agent Fia Quinn as she embarks on seven trips through time. History is up for grabs—from the speakeasies of Prohibition, to the vicious gangs of the Gilded Age, to the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001.

Your job is to keep close watch on seven travelers who have the desire (and the bank accounts) to sightsee in the past. Some are simply curious. Others have unfinished business to resolve. And they've all put down a lot of money for the trip, so it's vital that you keep them happy while ensuring they follow the rules. But what could go wrong? It's only time travel, after all.

An alleged partial close-up capture of the Nintendo Switch 2's chipset has leaked out; courtesy of Kurnal (@Kurnalsalts). This fresh leak is being hyped up as putting an end to all online debate regarding the upcoming hybrid console's technological underpinnings. Despite late 2024/early 2025 reports pointing to a custom NVIDIA "T239" SoC design, certain voices continued to produce conjecture about a more "cutting edge" solution. Surprisingly, Team Green's PR department did issue a statement about the Switch 2 being powered by: "a custom processor featuring an NVIDIA GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements."

As expected, Nintendo staffers remained guarded during recent press junkets—in-depth tech talk was deferred in NVIDIA's general direction. Kurnal's sharing of a speculative "T239" partial die shot does not provide any major new revelations or insights—as discussed on the Nintendo Switch 2 Subreddit, tech enthusiasts continue to rely on specification details from the big hack of NVIDIA repositories (three years ago). Newer speculation has focused on Nintendo's choice of foundry—Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter continues to express his personal belief that Nintendo has selected a Samsung 8 nm DUV foundry node. In opposition, certain critics have persisted with a 5 nm EUV node process theory.

Digital Foundry's Oliver Mackenzie and a member of the Resetera video game discussion forum have alerted the wider community to a small change within the text on several of Nintendo's Switch 2 product web presences. Mackenzie's social media post included a comparative screenshot; showing before and after conditions; Digital Foundry's Canadian correspondent provided comment: "some weird stuff going on at Nintendo. Looks like they've changed their US website to no longer mention VRR support for TV play? Only HDR and 120 Hz support get a call-out." Additional press coverage has put spotlights on Nintendo's Japan and Canada websites; both regional offices have scrubbed "VRR" (variable refresh rate) from Switch 2 promotional material. At the time of writing, Nintendo of Europe and UK's hardware feature sections still showcase an unadulterated description: "bring games to life with a larger 1080p screen—or connect to a TV and play in up to 4K resolution. Support for HDR, VRR, and frame rates up to 120 FPS let you enjoy brilliant colour, clarity, and smooth gameplay."

Video Games Chronicle and a few other news sites have reached out to Nintendo for comment regarding this confusing situation. The Switch 2 maker is notorious for its guarded stance when discussing technical details—as evidenced recently, by a top employee deflecting responsibility in NVIDIA's general direction. Mackenzie reckons that VRR support—when paired with compatible televisions and monitors—could be added post-launch (June 5). It is possible that Nintendo's engineering department has removed this feature from its day one bag of tricks. Meanwhile, the Switch 2's surprisingly capable integrated display is expected to arrive without any technological compromises.

Up until very recently, the microSD Express format was viewed as a commercial disappointment for involved manufacturers and suppliers. Potential buyers were not attracted to premium price points; as demanded by designs that can leverage (up to) 900 MB/s read speeds. Hermitage Akihabara—a Japanese electronics and computer hardware chain—has tracked an alarmingly sharp climb in demand for microSD Express products. The popular retailer documented this recent trend across several articles, with last week's investigation diving deep into units selling: "at a rate of 337.62 cards per hour!" The upcoming launch of a highly-anticipated mainstream gaming device has seemingly sharply driven up sales of a largely forgotten storage format. Hermitage Akihabara explored this unprecedented turnaround in fortunes: "Nintendo's influence is amazing. The 'microSD Express card,' which had hardly any sales due to lack of use, sold out in an instant as soon as it was announced that it would be used in the Nintendo Switch 2. It was sold out not only in (our) Akihabara shops but also on EC sites nationwide, and it caused such a stir that it was even covered in the general news."

Hermitage Akihabara expects to replenish its stock within a non-specific timeframe—but prices could remain "quite high," due to manufacturers (reportedly) being fairly conservative with production output. The store's "behind the scenes of the microSD Express card sellout" news piece outlined some compelling data points: "our mail order service received a large number of orders. According to the calculations made by the mail order staff, they were selling at a rate of 5.63 units per minute, or 337.62 units per hour, which was also a surprise. Of course, we didn't have that much stock, but it seems that we were selling as much as we had. One interesting thing is that most of the buyers ordered only one copy. At most, three copies were purchased, and more than 80% of people ordered one copy. Most of the buyers were pure users who wanted to save one to use with the Switch 2." As reported earlier in the month, Lexar has readied the world's first 1 TB microSD Express card. Their $199.99 (MSRP) 1 TB PLAY PRO microSDXC Express model is already available to purchase, months in advance of Switch 2's global launch date (June 5). Industry insiders believe that Samsung is collaborating with Nintendo on an "official" range of microSD Express cards.

Not too long after delivering its in-depth Switch 2 showcase, Nintendo of America and retail partners postponed pre-launch reservations for the forthcoming hybrid gaming console. An official announcement stated: "pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged." The vast majority of industry watchdogs reckon that company will be assessing an adjustment of launch day product MSRPs. Last week's North American presentation outlined price points of $449.99 and $499.99; for a standard package and a Mario Kart World Pack (respectively). Theorized adjustments could extend to physical copies of games, as well as accessories; e.g. the Switch 2 Pro Controller.

Gamers further north—in the neighboring nation of Canada—were relieved about last week's alert being non-applicable to their market region. Up until yesterday, pre-orders were on track at CA$629.99 (base console) and CA$699.99 (with Mario Kart World). Unfortunately, the House of Mario's Canuck branch has confirmed that recent events have had a knock-on effect for local customers. As disclosed in a statement to MobileSyrup, Nintendo of Canada explained: "pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in Canada will not start on April 9, 2025 in order to align with the timing of pre-orders to be determined in the U.S....Nintendo will provide updated information at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged." MobileSyrup's report was updated yesterday evening; with links to social media bulletins posted by the regional arms of Walmart and GameStop. Both retail outlets repeated Nintendo of Canada's disappointing message.

Microids is excited to reveal an all-new trailer for Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening, a thrilling video game adaptation of the iconic animated series produced by TMS, which itself is based on the beloved manga by Buichi Terasawa. Set to launch on August 26, 2025, the game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Developed by the talented studio Magic Pockets, this game will offer players around the world a unique opportunity to relive the thrilling adventures of Cobra by exploring the first 12 episodes of the series, featuring one of its most iconic arcs: the Captain Nelson's treasure.

According to Gamespot, Nintendo has cancelled pre-orders of the Switch 2 in the US due to the recently announced tariffs by the US government. The company has issued a statement to the publication that reads "Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged." This suggests that the Switch 2 will still reach US shores, but the question is if the pricing will remain as announced.

Besides affecting end customers, this is likely to affect all of Nintendo's US retail partners, since retail chains such as Best Buy, Target and Walmart have been preparing to start accepting pre-orders for the new handheld console on the 9th of April. Nintendo's statement doesn't really give away any details, but it suggests that the company is re-evaluating its MSRP, as Japan was hit with a 24 percent tariff by the US. If the tariff was to be handed straight over to the end consumers, this could mean the Switch 2 will retail for closer to US$560 than the promised US$450, which would make it prohibitively expensive for many potential buyers. Hopefully Nintendo will figure out what it'll do quickly and keep its fanbase update with what it'll do in plenty of time ahead of the launch in June.