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!

Use the coupon code B719TPUP on the following item at check-out to avail the price you see here.
Buy ABKONCORE B719 Pro Gaming Headset for $48.99

Use the coupon code CH713MTPU at check-out to avail the price you see here.
Buy ABKONCORE CH713M E-Sports Gaming Headset for $38.99

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).

SteelSeries, the makers of the most award-winning headset line in history, today announces the newest member of the Arctis family, the Arctis 1 Wireless. The Arctis 1 Wireless features the new slimmed down body of the Arctis 1, but connects via a small USB-C dongle for a true lossless and low latency connection across Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC and mobile.

The Arctis 1 Wireless is the ultimate 4-in-1 wireless headset. Through a small USB-C dongle, it features SteelSeries' lossless 2.4 GHz wireless technology for ultra-low latency wireless on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4 and Android. This allows users to easily take the same console or PC experience on-the-go on Nintendo Switch or Android devices.

ORIGIN PC is celebrating its 10th anniversary of building world class high-performance custom PCs for gamers, enthusiasts, and professionals with a one-of-a-kind gaming system showcasing the best of PC gaming and console gaming. The system is called Big O, which combines a high-powered gaming PC with an Xbox One X, PlayStation 4 Pro, and Nintendo Switch inside a modified ORIGIN PC GENESIS chassis. This build is a throwback to the original award-winning Big O system built in the early years of ORIGIN PC's history that at the time combined a powerful gaming PC with an Xbox 360.

By using their case modding and PC building expertise, the ORIGIN PC team spent countless hours testing, designing, and building the modern Big O as a stunning technical showpiece. With inspiration from previous custom builds, the Big O offers an incredible hardline liquid cooling solution for the Intel Core i9-9900K CPU and NVIDIA TITAN RTX GPU, which also extends to the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro. As for the Nintendo Switch, the team built a custom dock in the front panel of the Big O using the original hardware in order to retain the complete "docking" capabilities of the system. Thus the Nintendo Switch can be docked for full screen gameplay or removed to take gaming on the go.

Fantasy Strike, the fighting game from Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix lead designer David Sirlin, punches its way out of Steam Early Access and onto Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac, and Linux on July 25, 2019.

The secret to how Fantasy Strike works as both a deep tournament game for hardcore genre fans as well as an introduction to the genre for newcomers is that both ends of the spectrum benefit from the game's extreme emphasis on strategy over difficult controls. Both types of players can enjoy its innovations in making fighting games more readable and understandable than ever before, which help everyone make the most informed strategy decisions they can.

CORSAIR, a world leader in PC gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset, the latest addition to its popular HS Series. The HS35 delivers high-quality sound and voice clarity at an affordable price for gaming on multiple platforms including PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, thanks to a universal 3.5 mm connection. Available in four different colors - Carbon, Green, Blue, and Red - it's easy to match the HS35 to your gaming system of choice, or just to suit your style.

Don't let the competition get the drop on you - the HS35 provides excellent sound quality thanks to a pair of custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium speaker drivers, catching a wider range of in-game sounds that headsets with smaller drivers may miss. The HS35's great audio quality is paired with a fully-detachable unidirectional microphone that reduces ambient noise, so your team always hears your critical calls, and is Discord-certified for reliable, crystal-clear communication.

Today, Ubisoft announced Gods & MonstersTM, an all-new action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind Assassin's Creed Odyssey, will launch worldwide on February 25th, 2020. This open world fantasy adventure features a beautiful art style, and engages players in a fantastical world as they use godlike abilities to defeat famed mythological beasts and save the Greek gods in a heroic journey for the ages.

In Gods & Monsters players embody Fenyx, a forgotten hero on a quest to restore power to the Greek gods after it was stolen by Typhon, the deadliest creature in Greek mythology. Players will explore the Isle of the Blessed and prove their heroism as they face dangerous mythological creatures, including fearsome Gorgons, Harpies and mighty Cyclopes. Gifted with special powers from the gods of Olympus, players must overcome treacherous dungeons, challenging trials and perform heroic feats on their journey to save the gods.

Razer , the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today introduced the Kraken X wired gaming headset. It is designed to be ultra-light and comfortable with 7.1 surround sound for all-day gaming that won't break the bank. Razer is also announcing that all its gaming headsets launched from 2019 onwards will offer 7.1 surround sound capabilities to provide the unfair advantage in gaming.

The Kraken X is designed to deliver superior comfort all day long. Seriously, all day. It features a fresh redesign that slims down the familiar Razer Kraken profile to an extremely light weight of just 250 grams (0.55 lbs), making it one of the lightest gaming headsets in the market today. Paired with soft memory foam ear cushions, glasses-friendly eyewear channels and an adjustable headband, the Kraken X serves as an undeniably comfortable gaming headset.

Leading gaming headset and audio accessory brand Turtle Beach (Nasdaq: HEAR) today announced that the Turtle Beach Battle Buds - a high-performance in-ear headset designed for gamers on the go - are now available internationally. The Battle Buds' standout feature is the removable high-sensitivity boom microphone which delivers crystal-clear in-game chat with other players. When not gaming, the boom mic can be easily detached, and the inline mic can be used for taking calls and chatting on the go. Additionally, Battle Buds have 10mm speakers that deliver full-range sound, as well as a standard 3.5 mm connection to ensure compatibility with nearly all mobile devices, Nintendo Switch , Xbox One, PS4 , and PC. Battle Buds arrive with two color combinations - bright white with teal accents, or sleek black with silver accents, and are available today at for just £24.99.

"The Battle Buds use our renowned mic technology to deliver a great multiplayer chat experience, just in a smaller, more portable package created for gamers playing on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices," said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach. "Battle Buds sound great whether gaming or listening to music, and both mics pick up your voice loud and clear, whether you're coordinating with your squad to ensure you get the next win, or on a call with a friend talking about your next match."

Turtle Beach (NASDAQ: HEAR), a global leader in gaming audio, today unveiled the all-new Recon 70 - the Company's latest series of powerful and affordable wired gaming headsets, and the successor to the Turtle Beach's Recon 50. The Recon 70 is built to give gamers the advantage they need on any battlefield, on any platform. Available for a MSRP of £29.99, the Recon 70 delivers high-quality game audio through powerful 40mm over-ear speakers and features Turtle Beach's signature high-sensitivity flip-to-mute mic. The Recon 70's lightweight design includes a padded and adjustable headband, while synthetic leather-wrapped ear cushions provide unmatched comfort so players can focus on the match and secure that win.

The Recon 70 for Nintendo Switch , with its signature red accents, is available now at www.turtlebeach.com and at participating retailers in North America. Additionally, black and white models of the Recon 70 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be available in North America starting May 1, 2019, with pre-orders available now. Also available on May 1, 2019 will be a midnight red version of the Recon 70 for PS4 .

HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced HyperX ChargePlay Quad Joy-Con Charging Station for Nintendo Switch and HyperX ChargePlay Duo Controller Charging Station for PS4 . ChargePlay Quad charges up to four Joy-Con controllers simultaneously and conveniently connects directly to the Nintendo Switch dock with a two-meter USB charging cable. LED light indicators enable gamers to easily monitor charge status for each individual Joy-Con controller.

HyperX's first charging station for console, ChargePlay Duo charges up to two DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controllers in two hours or less and includes a three-level indicator to monitor charging status. The ChargePlay Duo quickly clicks into the dock without the hassle of trying to find ports, plug in cables, or additional dongles to connect.

HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced the release of HyperX Cloud Earbuds . Developed for Nintendo Switch and mobile gamers, Cloud Earbuds feature signature HyperX comfort coupled with new patent pending, HyperX designed soft silicone ear tips, giving gamers the ultimate in comfort and superior sound for an immersive gaming experience on the go.

HyperX Cloud Earbuds offer rich sound quality with Hi-Fi capable 14 mm drivers to deliver clear low, mid and high tones with enhanced bass and ambiance for a more captivating gaming experience. The earbuds include a rubberized, tangle-free cable connection that features a 90-degree angled plug optimized for handheld mode. The Cloud Earbuds also offer direct connectivity for voice chat functionality supporting Nintendo Switch with a slim in-line mic. For added mobile convenience, the in-line mic can also be used for mobile calls, and features convenient single button control for calls and streaming media.

If you had told me this time last year that Valve of all companies would be peeling away secrecy layers galore, I would have laughed in your face. As it turns out, Valve is doing just that in an attempt to dissuade fears after Steam's API changed earlier this year making services such as SteamSpy less informative and useful to the public. Their latest blog post on Steam shares user details on controllers, given PC gamers have enjoyed the flexibility to use the beloved keyboard + mouse combo or go with controllers from console makers, or 3rd-party alike. As it stands, there are a lot of things to see here too.

To begin with, there have been over 30 million user accounts to register the use of a controller since 2015, of whom over 15 million have used two or more controllers. With shared and multiple accounts to consider in addition, Valve estimates as many as 60 million accounts to have a controller paired up in the last three years. Seen below is a pie chart showing the distribution of use of various different controllers, and the Xbox 360 controller reigns supreme here with over 27 million account pairings of the device (45% share). The Xbox One controller comes in next, and Valve's own Steam Controller fares decent with over 1 million pairings. More to follow past the break.