Pointers For Marvel Rivals And Path of Exile 2, What To Play Before AC Shadows Arrives, And More Of The Week's Top Tips
Whether you want to tackle Path of Exile 2 solo, make the most of Mr. Fantastic's stretchy powers in Marvel Rivals, or just get Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looking and running its best on your Steam Deck, we've got the tips for you.
Many will argue that the best solo class in Path of Exile 2 isn't the one topping the meta currently but the one you enjoy the most. That's true…to some extent. Some builds prove viable from the get-go, capable of pushing all of the end-game content across Wraeclast. Others, not so much. For example, the Warrior, while entertaining as you smash your foes with reckless abandon, poses a problem in the end-game because most late-game enemies and bosses excel against melee builds. But seeing as you can only choose one, we recommend starting with a minion build, which means selecting the Witch! - Brandon Morgan Read More
Following multiple delays that have pushed the game deeper into 2025, along with reports of this being the biggest AC game with the longest development time in the franchise, Assassin's Creed Shadows is nearly upon us. Of course, there's still time to complete a game or two beforehand. While February is positively jam-packed with new game releases, you may want to hit up your backlog instead of paying cash for something new before Shadows (or scope out some possible deals on older games). Here are a few titles we recommend you stomp through first! - Brandon Morgan Read More
Let's cut to the chase; it's a small miracle that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth runs on the Steam Deck. This is a game so visually demanding that it's the poster child for the $800 PS5 Pro. Yet, the power of Valve's handheld device is roughly comparable to last gen's PS4. On top of that, even Square Enix games that can run on last-generation hardware have struggled on the Steam Deck. So you can probably understand that my expectations for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth were pretty low. If Cloud's adventure ran well enough that I could sneak in some games of Queen's Blood on the go, I'd consider it a win. - Timothy Monbleau Read More
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD marks the second time the popular Wii game has been ported to another Nintendo console. But it's the first time it's been given the full high-definition treatment. The game certainly looks better than ever, though it's worth noting there are no meaningful changes to the gameplay added in this version. - Billy Givens Read More
ARPGs like Path of Exile 2 and portable gaming devices like the Steam Deck go together like spaghetti and meatballs. Fighting huge mobs of enemies and grinding out rare loot is perfect for pick-up-and-play gaming, especially while you lay in bed listening to all those podcasts your friends keep bugging you to check out. Granted, this is only a great experience if the game you're playing runs well on Valve's flagship portable device, so how does Path of Exile 2 hold up? - Timothy Monbleau Read More
It is only fitting that the First Avenger himself, Captain America, was one of the first heroes to join Marvel Rivals. For a character whose primary weapon is a shield, it makes sense that Cap would take on Rivals' version of the Tank role as a Vanguard. However, unlike beefier Tanks, the Sentinel of Liberty requires a little more finesse than other characters like Hulk. - Simon Estey Read More
While he is a little late to Marvel Rivals, the namesake of Marvel's first family has joined the multiplayer hero shooter. Despite taking on the role of a Duelist, Rivals' version of DPS, the character also contains elements of the Vanguard Class, making him an elastic and versatile choice. - Simon Estey Read More
Now that Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available on Nintendo Switch and PC, you may be curious if you can play with your friends on other platforms, or perhaps if you can carry your save over to a new platform. We'll fill you in on everything you need to know about the game's crossplay and cross-save functionality below. - Billy Givens Read More
Cozy, laid-back games have a tendency to feature a bit of character customization, and Mika and the Witch's Mountain is no different. In this relaxing, delivery-focused game, you can equip the titular character with a variety of outfits and charms that give her a bit of additional personality. While a few of these can be earned during the story, most will have to be purchased from a somewhat hidden location. Here's where to find it. - Billy Givens Read More
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the second re-release of the original Wii version of this classic platformer. Prettier graphics aside, basically everything fans love (or hate) about this Kong outing remains intact to enjoy all over again—or for the first time. If you're new to the game, we've got three tips that we think might help you in the early hoursAnd if you're really struggling, the second tip might be especially helpful, so read on! - Billy Givens Read More
For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
2 hours ago
- Gizmodo
The Best ‘Final Fantasy' References in Its Huge ‘Magic: The Gathering' Crossover
Today one of the biggest sets in Magic: The Gathering's recent history makes its grand arrival at last: Final Fantasy, the first of Magic's at-times-controversial 'Universes Beyond' crossovers with other franchises to be given the full standard-legal treatment. It's a marriage of two of gaming's most beloved fantasy realms, and with absolute legions of fans of both Magic and Final Fantasy to please, it has to hit the highlights and mechanical flavoring of 16 mainline game's worth of viable cards. From everything we've seen of the set in the run up to today's release, it looks like Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix helped build a match made in (seventh) heaven—but here's some of our favorite nods to Final Fantasy's vast legacy that we love most from the set. Naturally, some of these references are about key major story points in their respective Final Fantasy titles. If you're not caught up with the 16 mainline games that have released over the past four decades, well, consider yourself very lightly spoiler warned here. Tiered Spells Are a Perfect Blend of Final Fantasy and Magic One of the new mechanical additions the Final Fantasy set brings to Magic is the 'Tiered' rule: if a player pays an additional cost to the card's initial mana cost, they can select from one of three tiers of power. More mana means more effects—just like how in Final Fantasy a lot of magic spells have three evolutionary steps: their base form, a more potent version of that form with the suffix -ara, and then its most powerful form with the suffix -aga. The tiered spells in the set are spread across two different forms: some are given to represent various limit break attacks from Final Fantasy VII, reflecting the party's ability to develop stronger special attacks over the course of the game. But the ones that represent some of Final Fantasy's elemental and restorative magics are each smartly attuned to the color identities they're assigned to in Magic. Aggressive fire and thunder magics are assigned to red; ice, which instead of doing damage bounces cards back into an opponents hands or libraries, is assigned to blue, which reflects that color's archetypal focus on interruption and control mechanics. It's a very neat way to mechanically marry a Final Fantasy player's understanding of the series' base magic system to a Magic player's understanding of its own colors' archetypes and escalatory effects. Suplex the Train, Dammit Suplex, renamed to Meteor Strike in later versions of Final Fantasy VI, is one of the many martial abilities of Sabin the Monk, letting him… well, pick an enemy up and flip them in the air to slam them straight back down. But while Sabin can use the move on a great number of VI's big creatures, the most infamous victim of the attack—spurring years of internet meme history—is the fact that he can use it when the party encounters the Phantom Train after Sabin, Cyan, and Shadow flee the Empire's invasion of Doma. The Phantom Train is, of course, a spectral haunted steam train, so it's very absurd that Sabin can just pick it up and suplex it like it's no big deal. Suplex gets its own card as a sorcery in Magic, which lets you do three damage to a creature—pretty basic. Except, a player who plays Suplex could instead use its second ability, which allows it to specifically exile an artifact card. You know what's an artifact in the Final Fantasy set? The Phantom Train. Lightning's Stagger FF XIII's protagonist has several cards to her name in the set, but Lightning, Army of One has several cool mechanical nods to XIII's battle system. The first is that 'Army of One' suffix, a reference to Lightning's powerful combo attack of that name in the game—an aggression that is symbolically matched in the card by giving her several offensive keywords like Trample (which lets her deal excess damage from combat directly to a player) and First Strike (which lets her deal damage before anyone else resolves damage in combat). But it's Lightning, Army of One's other rule that is the neater reference: she has Stagger, a nod to the mechanic of the same name in XIII that lets the party deal bonus damage to an opponent once they've maxed out its stagger gauge through steady, repeated attacks for a brief period of time. In Magic, it lets any other creature that attacks Lightning's target, whether it's another creature or a player, take double damage for the rest of the turn. Same hat! Sephiroth Yearns to Kill Aerith One of the most infamous moments in the original Final Fantasy VII is Sephiroth's murder of Aerith as she prays in the City of Ancients. Like the synergy between Suplex and Phantom Train before it, Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier and Aerith have a synergy that grimly reflects his fated killing: Aerith's rules let her gain +1/+1 counters every time you gain life, and Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier gives you life every time another creature dies. The fourth time that effect happens, you can flip Sephiroth over, transforming him into his powerful One Winged Angel form. But he can also sacrifice any card, including one of your own, every time he attacks. Which, more often than not, triggers 'dies' as a mechanic, advancing Sephiroth closer to his transformation… and Aerith herself has a special rule that, when she dies, her accrued +1/+1 tokens can be given to all Legendary Creatures you have in play. So, if you have them both in play, Sephiroth can sacrifice Aerith for his fourth trigger, transforming, and then reap the benefits of all the +1/+1 tokens Aerith had built up from his attacking. It's mean! And very flavorful. Or you could just play Sephiroth's Intervention, a black Instant that destroys any target creature, if you just want to kill an Aerith for funsies. Final Fantasy XIV's Final Days One of the biggest pieces of background lore in the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is the 'Final Days,' a cataclysmic apocalypse that happened thousands of years in the past that saw the world of Etheirys, the realm of a precursor race called the Ancients, break into 14 shards during a battle between the gods Zodiark and Hydaelyn in an attempt to stall the Final Days' arrival. Much of Final Fantasy XIV takes place on the primary of those reflective shards, the Source, while some of its expansions have seen players travel to the worlds of other shards, like Shadowbringers. This event comes up in several poignantly thematic cards in the Magic set. Zodiark, Umbral God sees a player sacrifice half of the creatures they control, as a reference to the sacrifice the Ancients made to summon Zodiark and delay the Final Days in the first place. Meanwhile, Emet-Selch, Unsundered—one of the few surviving Ancients, haunted by his desire to restore the world to what it was in his lifetime—can transform into his godlike form of Hades once 14 cards enter your graveyard, and can play cards from your graveyard once he's done so. Phoenix Down Can Heal… and Harm Phoenix Down is an iconic item from across Final Fantasy, the simple revival medicine that lets you bring back a dead party member in battle. In Magic, it can only bring back cards from your graveyard with a mana value of four or less, reflective of its relatively basic form of restorative magic. But even better is the fact that it has a second ability: you can use it to exile undead creatures, a nod to the fact that healing items in Final Fantasy can be used on undead enemies to do damage instead. Fear the Tonberry Tonberries may look oddly cute with the dainty little knife and their big yellow eyes, but every Final Fantasy player knows that these green critters mean business once they get close to you. In most of their appearances, Tonberries take several turns of combat to slowly inch towards your party—and once they do, they instantly kill you in a single attack with their chef's knife. This is wonderfully translated into Magic with a mix of two mechanics: a Tonberry enters play tapped and with a stun counter on it, which means it takes two player turns to be ready to attack. Once it does attack though, it has First Strike and Deathtouch, meaning no matter how much damage it does to a creature, it will always do lethal damage. Galuf's Sacrifice Galuf's death fighting Exdeath in Final Fantasy V is one of the game's most iconic moments, made all the more bittersweet by the fact his abilities are passed onto his granddaughter Krile, who joins the party in his stead. That inheritance is naturally reflected in Galuf's Final Act, which not only briefly boosts a creature's power (a nod to Galuf going all out as he takes on Exdeath 1v1), but lets it pass on +1/+1 tokens equal to its power when it dies. Fight or Flight An infamous gag moment in Final Fantasy VII comes when the party goes to rescue Aerith from Shinra's HQ ahead of the climactic escape from Midgar. You're given a simple choice, in both the original game and in Remake: take the elevator up to the 60th floor, which stops multiple times for a series of fights, or the 'quiet' route… having to control Cloud as he runs up 59 flights of stairs. The Magic card Aerith Rescue Mission encapsulates that choice perfectly: you can either take the elevator, giving you three 1/1 Hero Tokens (representing Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett being ready to fight), or you can take the stairs, which lets you tap and stun up to three creatures (representing their cardio-induced duress). The Cycle of Sin Final Fantasy X is built around the cycle of Sin, a massive creature that rises to cull civilizations that grow too large or too advanced—but whose slaughter can be paused for a period of 'Calm' years when a Summoner sacrifices themselves in a final battle against Sin to summon a final aeon capable of defeating Sin… albeit only temporarily, locking the world in a cycle of destruction. That gets a pretty spot-on mirror in the card Sin, Unending Cataclysm; it not only removes counters from any number of creatures on the battlefield (to represent Sin's limitation of technological advancement), but also returns to your library when it dies rather than dying, meaning it can't be conventionally defeated. Its own bonus counters created from removing counters can be given to one of your other creatures… you know, so Sin can inherit them twice over when it returns. Champions From Beyond the Rift, Heed My Call! Champions From Beyond is a multilayered reference for Final Fantasy XIV players: the name and the art represents the climactic moments of the Shadowbringers expansion, when the player is aided by Iconic Catboy G'raha Tia, who summons heroes (aka, other players) from across the 14 shards of the world to battle Emet-Selch. That group-content focus is reflected in its rules, which lets you create any number of Hero tokens while also offering bonuses for attacking in either groups of four or eight creatures. Those are references to the two standard group sizes for FF XIV's multiplayer content: Light Parties, groups of four for standard dungeon content; and Full Parties, groups of eight typically used in more challenging boss fights or endgame raids. Quistis' Blue Magic Final Fantasy has all sorts of different magical archetypes across the series, but Blue Magic is one of its most arcane trademarks in the various schools of color-themed magics. Black Magic is primarily damaging elemental spells, White Magic is healing and support, Red Magic blends the two, while Blue represents an ability to absorb and learn the skills of an enemy opponent. Blue Mages exist across multiple Final Fantasy games, but FF VIII's Quistis it perhaps one of the most famous. It's fitting then that not only is she slotted into Magic's blue color archetype, but that her Blue Magic ability lets her cast spells from any player's graveyard, be it yours or your opponent: and that she cast them with any mana, regardless of their original cost. Kain's Mind Control Kain Highwind is a fascinating foil in Final Fantasy IV, his lingering jealousy towards FF IV's main character Cecil making him an easy target for the game's antagonist, Golbez, to corrupt him and brainwash him multiple times over the course of the story. Kain's almost-comical ability to be forced into betraying you is delightfully woven into Magic with his card, Kain, Traitorous Dragoon—whenever Kain does damage to another player, they can choose to take control of him and he does mirrored damage to his original owner, meaning that Kain can bounce back and forth between ownership over the course of the game! Ashe's Temptation A major turning point in Final Fantasy XII comes when Ashe, the exiled princess of the kingdom of Dalmasca, finds herself confronted with a dangerous temptation: fulfill her destiny as Ivalice's generational ruler and use the power of the almighty crystal called the Sun-Cryst to destroy the Archadian Empire that attacked Dalmasca at the start of the game, or destroy the Sun-Cryst and free Ivalice from the machinations of its creators. On the surface, the Instant Fate of the Sun-Cryst is a pretty typical Magic card, paying five mana to destroy any non-land permanent. But it has a bonus twist: it only costs three mana if you target a tapped creature, ie… a creature that's already attacked you. It's a very flavorful way to incorporate Ashe's temptation towards revenge. Of Course Ignis Cooks Ignis' card just wouldn't be Ignis if it didn't include an ability based around cooking. 'I've Come Up With a New Recipe!' lets a player tap Ignis and pay some mana to exile a card from your graveyard—and if it was a creature, you can create a food token, letting a player regain health. It's named, of course, for Ignis' meme-worthy repeated catchphrase from Final Fantasy XV: the party's cook whenever they camped, Ignis could learn various recipes throughout XV to grant the party various buffs and status effects when they rested. Specifying the bonus for exiling a creature is itself a cute reference to the fact that Ignis can cook various meals from the materials you get from killing creatures across XV's world, to boot. A Smile Better Suits a Hero Multiple cards throughout the Final Fantasy set give new themed art to already established Magic cards. Relic of Legends, a simple mana-generating artifact introduced in Dominaria United, is one of them, but its inclusion in the Final Fantasy XIV-themed Commander Deck, Scions & Spellcraft, is given a painful twist. The relic of legend in the new art refers to a traumatic sacrifice from Heavensward, XIV's first expansion, when one of your allies in the kingdom of Ishgard, Haurchefant Greystone, attempts to deflect a magical attack intended to strike the hero… only for his shield to buckle and for the strike to run him through instead, killing him. Cue the waterworks! Ifrit vs. Titan Clash of the Eikons refers to one of the standout moments of the latest mainline Final Fantasy, XVI, in which protagonist Clive Rosfield, transformed into the almighty summon Ifrit, scraps with rival summon Titan in an epic battle. Aside from looking as cool as the fight in XVI does, this sorcery lets you manipulate the amount of lore counters on a Saga card under your control: the card archetype that represents Final Fantasy's various summon creatures across the games in the set to reflect their status as powerful, but limited-time forces in battle. It's not only flavorful in that sense, it's particularly flavorful to Final Fantasy XVI. The fight between Ifrit and Titan is really the first time that Clive truly comes into his own as Ifrit's 'Dominant', embracing his transformation and pulling out all the stops to defeat Titan—so it's only fitting that that clash represents the ability to manipulate Sagas in this way! The Warrior of Light Unites All The Warrior of Light is the name of the character created to represent the generic party members of the very first Final Fantasy, who had no set characters and could be given any of the series' iconic jobs over the course of the game. Now a quasi-mascot of Final Fantasy as a whole, oddly enough the Warrior of Light doesn't actually have a unique card representing him in the Magic set (he appears on some, but none are specifically centered around him as a character). He is represented, however, on the 'Through The Ages' bonus sheet, a series of cards that reprints classic Magic cards with artwork drawn from across Final Fantasy history, from character concept work to promotional imagery from each game. The Warrior of Light is represented in this set of cards with a reprint of Jodah the Unifier, an iconic card that is popular in Magic's Commander as a 'WURBG' archetype: having a cost that utilizes one mana from each of Magic's five colors, a deck with Jodah as its Commander can be built out of cards from every color in turn. On top of that, Jodah the Unifier's abilities are built around synergies with Legendary Creatures and spells, buffing the more of them you have in play and getting more of them in play as quickly as possible. Across the Final Fantasy set most main characters are represented as Legendary Creatures, so it's fitting that the Warrior of Light can bring together heroes and villains from across the whole series to stand together!
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
Nintendo Switch 2 review: A fun console with tons of potential, but where are the exclusive games?
Compared to other Nintendo consoles, the Switch 2 is an outlier. It's the first Nintendo system that feels like a direct, no-frills upgrade to its predecessor. It looks similar, it doesn't require new controllers, and it even plays 99% of the original Switch's library. It's a sequel, which is rare for such an innovation-focused company. This lack of innovation gives the Switch 2 its greatest strengths and worst flaws. On the one hand, the system carries over everything I loved about the original console, including its massive library and iconic blend of handheld and TV gaming. But on the other hand, it offers what ultimately amounts to a similar gaming experience at jacked-up prices. I've spent more than a week with the Nintendo Switch 2, playing a variety of games every day. Although I consider it a no-brainer purchase for players who never bought a Switch, I'm not convinced it's worth upgrading from the original. At least, not yet. I'm confident the Switch 2 will eventually become an even better console than the Switch 1, but it needs more exclusive games to get there. The Nintendo Switch 2 looks and feels better than the original Like the original Switch, the Switch 2 is a handheld system that can also be placed in a dock to use with a TV at home. The Switch 2's built-in screen is nearly two inches bigger than the original console's, and when combined with a higher resolution — up to 1080p from the original's 720p — the comparison is night and day. Small details are easier to see, and tiny text takes less time to decipher. However, this is an LCD screen rather than an OLED one. Nintendo released an OLED version of the original Switch in 2021, and this type of screen offers higher contrast. That said, this new display's colors are still noticeably more vibrant than the standard Switch's LCD. The improved image quality is in part due to the screen's support for high dynamic range (HDR), a feature that the Switch 1 didn't have. HDR enables enhanced contrast and a wider range of colors. Though the Switch 2's backlight isn't bright or precise enough to showcase the full impact of what HDR can do, it still benefits from this feature. You can learn more in our HDR guide. I'm excited to see more games take advantage of the console's 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz on the original Switch) and the dock's 4K output for Ultra HD gaming on a 4K TV. The higher refresh rate can provide smoother motion, while the higher resolution offers a sharper, more detailed picture. There's only one game released so far that goes up to 120 FPS, the "Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour" tech demo, and it does indeed look very smooth. The creatively named Joy-Con 2 controllers are a mixed bag. They're larger than the original controllers, making them feel less cramped in your hands. They also connect to the Switch 2 magnetically, which is more convenient than the original's physical rails, albeit a bit flimsier feeling. It's a worthwhile tradeoff. But for whatever reason, Nintendo built them with the same problematic joystick parts that caused the infamous "Joy-Con Drift" issue on the original system. This flaw is a ticking time bomb that'll crop up more frequently as time goes on, so keep an eye on your controllers for symptoms. Each Joy-Con 2 can also be used as an optical mouse, but few games take advantage of this feature so far. When I used it, the mouse sensors were accurate and responsive, but the controller felt a bit too thin to handle as comfortably as a real mouse. The most powerful Nintendo console yet, but it has the worst battery life Where the Nintendo Switch 2 truly shines is in its performance, and not just with Switch 2 games. Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 runs on a custom-made Nvidia chip. It's hard to compare the chip to any other system like-for-like, but most hardware breakdowns describe the Switch 2 as a mobile PlayStation 4. That might not sound like much, but it's a big improvement over the original Switch's underpowered hardware and opens the door to a wide variety of big-budget AAA titles. Graphically intensive games, like " Cyberpunk 2077," which were impossible to run on an original Switch, are now available on the Switch 2. "Cyberpunk 2077" still doesn't run perfectly, but it's more than playable. The most shocking aspect of the Switch 2's performance is how it improves games made for the original console: The load times in " Splatoon 3" and " The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" have shrunk to only a few seconds. Fast travel in "Pokémon Sword" is near-instantaneous, and the normally lag-filled "Pokémon Scarlet" runs at a smooth 60 FPS. Some " Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" matches start before the game can even show which characters are fighting. The Switch 2 has become the ultimate way to experience original Switch games, even if they don't have a dedicated "Switch 2 Edition" update. If you don't own the original console and you've been wanting to play these games, this makes the Switch 2 an obvious buy. This improved performance does come with downsides, though. Most notable is the reduced battery life, which is down to an estimated two to 6.5 hours from the original's 4.5 to nine. Both also take more than five minutes to turn on after being plugged in to charge, which is a major blow to the console's portability. I ran a test comparing the Switch 2 to my 2018 original model, seeing how long they could last running "Tears of the Kingdom" in a busy in-game area with the camera endlessly spinning. The brand-new Switch 2 lasted about two hours and fifty minutes, while I logged about two hours and thirty-five minutes on my original Switch. Though the Switch 2 did last slightly longer in this test, it's important to note that my original system has a seven-year-old, heavily used battery. With that in mind, the comparison is disappointing. The only exclusives so far are a new 'Mario Kart' and a frustrating tech demo As of this writing, the Switch 2 only has two exclusive Nintendo games: " Mario Kart World" and " Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour." They're leagues apart in quality. "Mario Kart World" is the best game in the series so far. The most fun part of any "Mario Kart" race is the chaotic first few seconds when everyone is jockeying for an early lead, and the new Knockout Tour mode, which turns the race into a battle royale, makes that chaos last the entire match. There's no such thing as a comfortable lead — you're always in danger of getting bumped to the bottom of the pack. It also boasts a wonderfully diverse set of characters, most of whom have multiple unlockable costumes or forms; an updated trick system that lets you ride on walls and charge boosts at any time; and some incredible tracks, including a beautiful new version of Rainbow Road that's both the longest course in series history, and feels more like a shared boss battle than a racetrack. The graphics are crisp, and load times are short. It's also got a banger soundtrack that references and remixes songs from throughout the "Mario" franchise. But is it worth buying a Switch 2 for? By itself, I wouldn't say so. For all its new features, the basics of "Mario Kart" haven't changed, and I don't expect the original Switch's "Mario Kart 8" multiplayer servers to empty out anytime soon. Wait for more exclusives — and, hopefully, for "Mario Kart World" to go on sale. "Nintendo Switch Welcome Tour," meanwhile, presents itself as a quirky way to learn more about your system, but in reality, it's more of a chore than a fun instruction manual. To progress from area to area, you need to collect stamps, which are gathered by running up to each of the Switch 2's individual buttons/ports and pressing "A" to open a pop-up that tells you what they're called. There's no indication of which stamps you're missing, which leads to situations where you're sprinting around a giant Joy-Con, desperately checking every corner to figure out what buttons you missed. The mini-games are amusing but one-note, and the quizzes, which require you to read dozens of pages of explanations on how the Switch 2 was built and works, are boring. If "Welcome Tour" was a free pack-in with the system, none of this would be much of an issue, but it costs $10. My advice? Just watch a playthrough on YouTube. I had low expectations, but the system's new GameChat feature left me pleasantly surprised GameChat is the Switch 2's voice and video-chatting app. It's free until 2026, at which point you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass membership to use it. Nintendo has hyped it up as one of the console's biggest selling points. Going in, I was pretty negative on GameChat. I figured it'd be like Nintendo's past attempts at online chat: Clunky and unintuitive. I also thought it'd pale in comparison to a free service like Discord. I'm happy to say that I was wrong! Setting up a GameChat session with my friend took only a few seconds, although waiting for them to actually connect once they accept the invite takes some time. The choppy screen sharing looks bad at first, but in practice, really wasn't noticeable. And the system's built-in microphone has some shockingly good noise cancellation. Even when I ran a hair dryer at full blast only a few feet away, my friend couldn't hear it, but made out my voice perfectly. GameChat isn't as feature-rich as Discord, but it doesn't need to be. It's made for quick, casual multiplayer sessions, not long-term communication. I expect it'll also be popular with kids, since it's encased in its own ecosystem, making it safer than a random Discord server. I didn't have a compatible webcam to test out the video-chatting function, but testing from The Verge has found mixed results when connecting third-party webcams. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to which cams work and which don't. But when they do work, video evidence from other players shows that the feeds are pretty smooth. The Switch 2's portable power costs a pretty penny Now, the elephant in the room: The Switch 2 costs $450, which is $100 more than the Switch OLED, $150 more than the standard Switch, and comparable to both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. It's also $100 more expensive than the cheapest Steam Deck, which is the most popular non-Nintendo handheld gaming system. The Switch 2's price isn't unreasonable compared to its competitors from rival brands. But this high cost makes it the most expensive Nintendo console yet, and it might mean that Nintendo's reign as the choice for gamers on a budget is ending. The price of games is getting higher, too. "Mario Kart World" costs $80, and that's not going to be a rare occurrence. Add in the cost of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription ($20 to $50 a year, depending on your plan), and the budget starts to get frighteningly tight. And that's before you consider buying any Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, like microSD Express cards, screen protectors, cases, controllers, and cameras. Obviously, everyone has a different financial situation. But at a time when prices are rising across the board, it's hard to justify spending so much on a relatively incremental upgrade of a console. Is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth buying? If you already own a Nintendo Switch, then no, the Switch 2 isn't worth it just yet. The system doesn't have enough exclusive games right now, so most of your library will be titles you could have played already without spending more money. And because there aren't many exclusives that take advantage of the system's new graphical features, the Switch 2's 120 FPS and 4K resolution upgrades aren't that important. And while the new design is fantastic, it's not worth $450. The system simply hasn't justified its price. But if you never hopped on the Switch train, now's a great time to buy your ticket. That is, if you can find one in stock. Buying a Switch 2 gives you immediate access to a massive library of games, including original Switch classics like " Super Mario Odyssey," new experiences like " Mario Kart World," and remastered ports like " Street Fighter 6." There are also loads of new games coming in the next year, including the open-world RPG "Pokémon Legends: Z-A" and the highly anticipated first-person adventure "Metroid Prime 4." All this is to say that, yes, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a great console. And a year or two from now, it might just be the best product Nintendo has ever released. But right now, it's an inessential upgrade. It's the best choice for new players who never bought an original Switch, but overpriced for existing Switch owners.
Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is cute and functional, but you might not need it yet
The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera ($54) might not be the most essential peripheral for the Nintendo Switch 2. Still, it's certainly useful for those who want to be seen when playing online with friends. It's not mind-blowing, but it works as advertised. Unlike the best webcams that you stick to the top of your TV or monitor, the Switch 2 Camera sits on top of a small circular stand. The camera is small enough to place on your desk or near your TV easily. The all-black color also helps it blend into the environment, especially if your electronics are also dark. The 1080p resolution can help deliver a relatively sharp image, and the wide-angle lens can capture multiple people in the same room. The camera has great face detection, which is useful if you only want your face to show when you're in a GameChat session. Built-in GameChat camera controls allow you to display yourself and your surroundings as you see fit, though. If you already own a compatible webcam, then you might not need the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. That said, it's a solid little device that pairs nicely with Nintendo's new console. For the asking price, it's at least worth considering. Find out why in my full review. Nintendo Switch 2 Camera Price $54 Resolution 1080p Connectivity USB-C Features Video chat, in-game camera functions Diagonal field of view Wide-angle Privacy shutter Yes Cable length 4.5 feet Dimensions 6.3 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches Weight 0.32 pounds Thanks to its small size, sharp image quality and handy GameChat options, the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is a great peripheral for people who frequently play online games. At 6.3 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches and 0.32 pounds, the Switch 2 Camera is one charmingly small peripheral, which certainly fits Nintendo's aesthetic. The actual camera has a half-oval shape, and it sits on top of a thin shaft that's connected to a circular base. You can pivot the camera up and down by a few degrees, but you can't turn it side to side. There's a privacy shutter you can easily enable by twisting the front of the camera, and a USB-C port on the camera's lower back side. There's a small rubber hook on the shaft you can tuck the cable through. The cable is 4.5 feet long from tip to tip, which I think is good enough for most setups. I would have liked a braided cable instead of a plastic one, but this is a small nitpick at best. Then we have the circular stand. It has a rubber base, which does a decent job of keeping the peripheral in place. Aside from a discreet Nintendo Switch 2 logo, the stand is free of embellishments. It's unassuming, but I like that. Since the camera is so small and light, it's as easy to travel with as the Nintendo Switch 2. If you're wondering, the camera works if the console is in handheld or tabletop mode. So if you want to play with friends while you're on the road, all you have to do is connect the camera to the Switch 2's top USB-C port and you're all set. The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera streams and records at 1080p resolution. 4K resolution would've been preferable, but I suspect Nintendo didn't go beyond 1080p since a 4K camera would consume more bandwidth when playing online. Because of that, I think it's a decent trade-off. Image quality is generally good. Details come through clearly enough, and colors are pretty close to real life, if only slightly washed out. I used the Switch 2 Camera in my apartment and at the office, both of which have good lighting conditions. Your results may vary, depending on your lighting situation. The camera doesn't automatically pan, tilt, or zoom. While having to move the camera around to get an optimal angle can be a bit annoying, you can frame yourself better by using the built-in GameChat camera controls, which I'll cover next. Again, this camera doesn't have particularly great image quality. But if you have favorable lighting conditions, you should be clearly visible to those you're in a chat with. GameChat is a new Switch 2 feature that allows you to talk with friends while playing games. It enables voice chat, screen sharing, and even video chat via a compatible USB-C camera like the Switch 2 Camera. You can have up to 12 players in a voice chat session, and up to four can share their screens or participate in video calls. As expected, the Switch 2 Camera works nicely with GameChat. Within GameChat, you're able to choose between showing everything the camera captures or just your head. It does the latter with reasonably accurate face tracking. If there are multiple people in the room with you, it'll track everyone's face, which can be beneficial for local multiplayer sessions. For your background, you can opt to show what's on your game screen. This is especially useful if you're playing a different game than others in the chat. Just keep in mind that the game's frames per second will be sub-30 fps. However, your in-camera frame rate will remain at a relatively consistent 30fps. The features I mentioned above aren't new for PS5 and Xbox Series X players. But even though Nintendo is late to the party when it comes to basic online chat features, I think it's good that said features are here. The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera works as advertised and can be useful if you want to be seen when playing online. However, you might not need to buy it, depending on your circumstances. Being able to show yourself or see others online can help enhance one's gaming experience. Conversely, others might find this off-putting. If you fall into the latter category, then the Switch 2 Camera won't be necessary. You can communicate just fine with the Switch 2's built-in mic or with one of the best gaming headsets that are compatible with Nintendo's console. The next reason you might not need a Switch 2 camera is if you already own a compatible USB-C webcam for handheld mode or a USB-A one for docked mode. My colleague Ryan Epps used a very old webcam we had in the office and it worked perfectly fine with his Switch 2 since he still had access to the aforementioned GameChat webcam features. Not every webcam will be compatible with Switch 2, but there's a good chance your current webcam will play nice. The Switch 2 Camera has some cool features that can make gaming online more fun. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of games that fully utilize the camera's unique features. Right now, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is the only game that takes the most advantage of the Switch 2 Camera. As my colleague Anthony Spadafora, who attended the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event, told me, you can use your hands, head, or even your whole body to play several mini-games. The camera tracked Anthony and three other players simultaneously, and it also snapped a photo to give everyone their own little photo icon, like in Mario Kart World. While that experience sounds great, it's a shame that the only game that takes advantage of the Switch 2's camera so far is an upgraded version of a game from 2024. Hopefully, Nintendo will soon release more games that are compatible with its camera. The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is a cute little peripheral that works as advertised. Though it's not necessary if you don't want to be seen when playing online or if you already own a compatible USB-C camera, it's a quality peripheral that pairs nicely with the Nintendo Switch 2. And though not exactly cheap, its asking price isn't egregious for what it offers. If you're looking for an official webcam for Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is the best option right now.
