Nintendo Switch 2, Summer Games Fest, Madden 26 Cover
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Gizmodo
11 hours ago
- Gizmodo
This Modular Switch 2 Case Will Help Your Battery Last Longer Than a Few Measly Hours
Even if you've been enjoying your Nintendo Switch 2, you can't play it for that long without being near its dock or a charger. Battery life is one of the major downsides to Nintendo's handheld, even more so than the original Switch. I've tried a few remedies for this power pain point, including Viture's AR glasses dock that's pretty bulky if you want to take it on the go. Then came along Genki with its $50 Attack Vector, a grip case packed with a unique feature that can easily let me play for way more than two hours on the Switch 2's 5,220mAh battery. Actually, this is the second time I've tried the company's cases after Genki flubbed its first attempt. As it turns out, the second time's the charm. Genki Attack Vector Case With a magnetic attachment point for a MagSafe charger, it's the lightest, easiest way to get a few hours more playtime on Switch 2. Pros Cons Genki is known for crafting some wacky accessories, such as its big glowing Moonbase power strip. That tendency to go over the top put it into contention with the notoriously litigious Nintendo, though that may be putting it mildly. Genki was one of the first companies to openly leak dummy units of the Switch 2 before the Big N could reveal all the new features. Nintendo sued Genki in May for trademark infringement, and that lawsuit is ongoing as of the time of writing. Genki has been much less rash when displaying its accessories at recent conferences like PAX East. Shortly after the Switch 2 launch in early July, early adopters learned the Attack Vector did not easily slide into the Switch 2 dock. Users were rightfully concerned that forcing the device down into its cradle could damage the screen. Gizmodo tested it out for ourselves, and we also found it way too difficult to slot in. Genki pulled its product and told us it would send a replacement. In the two months since then, I had gotten very used to Dbrand's $60 Killswitch case for the Switch 2, especially its smooth and comfortable ergonomic grips. All the same, I've been tired of using Dbrand's dock adapter to hook up my Switch 2 to a TV. The case is simply too big for the regular dock. Woes upon woes. With its revised Attack Vector case, Genki may have just supplanted Dbrand for two major quality-of-life features. For one, it fits snug inside the regular Switch 2 dock without any need for an extra accessory. Second, Genki's cases come with a magnetic attachment point for MagSafe batteries. No, the magnetic mounting point won't allow for wireless Switch 2 charging, but it makes it easier to play with an attached battery without resorting to a roll of duct tape. The Switch 2's battery life is not enough to survive a few hours of gaming when away from a dock. With a charging unit attached to the back of the case, the Switch 2 can go for five hours or more in total, depending on the size of your external battery bank. Genki sent along its own $70 Energy Pack, which is built with the Switch 2 in mind. It even comes stock with a cable just long enough to plug into the handheld's top USB-C port. The Energy Pack is a 30W charger with a total 10,000mAh power capacity. The external charger supports wireless charging and is Qi2 compatible when you want to use it with your phone or other compatible device. It will handle up to 30W fast charging, but the Switch 2 isn't going to suck up that juice like a kid powering through a Capri Sun packet. When connected to the Switch 2, the handheld only supports up to 12W of wired charging at max. Going from 0 to 100% can be agonizingly slow no matter what charger you plug into it. That means you'll need the battery pack close by if you want to play for longer. Thankfully, Genki's Energy Pack is light enough that it didn't weigh down the Switch 2 even when I was playing lying in bed. I tested the Energy Pack in games like Cyberpunk 2077, which normally eats through the Switch 2 battery faster than most other games on the system. The Switch 2 kept at 100% for two and a half hours, slightly longer than the handheld can hack it when on its own battery power. In total, I could achieve well over four hours in that game without needing to plug the pack or Switch 2 back in. Genki's Energy Pack is a great option to have on hand when on the move. It never felt above warm, even when attached to the back of the Switch 2. Its small display offers real-time info showing you how much power you have left and the current charging rate. At $70, it's around the same MSRP as other 10,000mAh power banks from big power bank makers like Anker or Ugreen, especially ones that come with a display. The addition of the magnetic mount means Genki's case is the current best option if you want to extend your Switch 2 battery without making the device so much thicker and heavier. But that's only one side of the coin. The next question is, is it comfortable to hold? The Attack Vector comes with three grips you can swap on the Switch 2 Joy-Con 2. There are the two meaty 'Anchor' and 'Balance' grips, plus the low-profile 'Feather' grips. Each slide up and onto the case's small plastic anchor points, which you'll have to do blind since you're attaching them from the bottom up. Swapping grips can be a hassle, though I found they were plenty stable when hooked up to the handheld. Any one of them could be comfortable, though the Anchor grips were my initial first favorite, up until I tried to use the Switch 2's most unique feature. What made the Killswitch case one of my favorites for Switch 2 was how it helped make the Joy-Con 2 mouse mode more ergonomic than the controllers by themselves. With that case, my middle finger curved around the controller and led my index finger to the R bumper button. Depending on your chosen grip, the Attack Vector makes mouse mode untenable. The Balance grip is especially egregious as it raises your palm wholly off the controller. The Anchor grip is slightly better, but it will still keep you from reaching controller face buttons. That left the Feather grip, the least ergonomic of the three, but that didn't keep me from trying the Joy-Con 2's unique feature. If you don't care about mouse mode, you'll find it's one of the options that will fit your hand best. Genki's plastic case is significantly thinner than the Dbrand Killswitch case. If you demand a case that provides the necessary protection when on the go, you'd still want to nab a felt casket to make sure it doesn't get banged up in your bag. Funnily enough, the Dbrand Killswitch Travel Cover still encompasses the Genki case (you can get the Attack Vector with a travel cover for $60). I swapped out the Genki handhelds for the Dbrand ones to create my own Frankenstein creation that now feels perfect for what I need. Beyond keeping the Switch 2 safe, these kinds of plastic covers should enhance the device or at least make up for a few of its shortcomings. The Attack Vector does that in most important ways, though you'll end up spending $50 for the case plus extra for a MagSafe battery just to give your Switch 2 a new lease on battery life.
Washington Post
17 hours ago
- Washington Post
‘Drag x Drive' is a fun Switch 2 idea but an exhausting drag to play
As an early game for the recently released Nintendo Switch 2, 'Drag x Drive' should be a fun display of the hybrid console's mouse feature. And it is, for maybe 20 minutes at a time.
The Verge
a day ago
- The Verge
Apple's latest MacBook Pro with M4 is down to its lowest price to date
The MacBook Pro 14 with M4 is one of our top laptop recommendations for students, and it's currently $1,299 ($300 off), an all-time low price at Amazon and Best Buy. In our tests, Apple's entry-level pro laptop was powerful enough to process high-resolution raw files in Adobe's Lightroom Classic without slowing down. It also easily clears the system requirements to play last month's port of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate to MacOS. The laptop has a 14.2-inch high resolution (3024 x 1964) 120Hz Mini-LED display and runs on Apple's M4 processor, its latest chip. It has 16GB of RAM, which should be enough memory to keep the laptop running smoothly when you have dozens of tabs open, want to edit 4K video, or play games. Its 512GB of storage is sufficient for keeping some larger files on your computer instead of keeping them in the cloud, or constantly transferring them to and from a portable SSD. One distinct advantage the MacBook Pro has over the thinner and lighter MacBook Air is its port selection. The laptop is equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, and SD Card slot to connect to monitors, memory cards, and other accessories without a dongle. It also has a MagSafe port, so you don't have to unplug an accessory to charge the laptop. Speaking of charging, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4's battery lasted a little over 12 hours of moderate to heavy usage when we reviewed it. The apps you use and your preferred screen brightness level will heavily impact the laptops's battery life, but you should be able to get through the school or work day without having to plug it in. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Brandt Ranj Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Amazon Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Apple Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Beats Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Deals Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
