Latest news with #Joy-Con
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nintendo's Switch 2 is out: here are the best games to get
Have you heard? The Switch 2 is finally out – and everybody's buying one. Since its launch last week, it's shifted a staggering 3.5m units, making it the best selling console of all time. And with its release, we're also seeing some of the best games on the market get a preparatory revamp. In addition to Mario Kart World, which released on the same day as the Switch 2 itself, we've also seen several day-one upgrades from the massive games that the Switch can now run. But good games don't come cheap – and in the interests of helping you decide, here are some of the best to invest in. Hazelight's newest co-op game has only been out for a few months, so it's no surprise that it's been tweaked for the Switch 2 just in time for its release. And it's worth it, too: the Switch's two Joy-Con set up means it's basically the perfect co-op vehicle, whether it's played on the small screen or linked up to the TV. The game itself is well worth the money spent on it. You and a friend play as Zoe and Mio, two aspiring writers who get trapped in simulations of their own stories (fantasy and sci-fi, to be precise). Puzzling your way through the various levels is a joy – as is the sheer inventiveness on display. This new Konami co-op title has been designed for the Switch 2 from the ground up. And it's also very cute: a survival game where communication and teamwork are key, the perfect excuse for using the Switch 2's GameShare and GameChat features. The puzzles – which are located on sweet islands perched on top of roaming Whurtles – are pleasingly intuitive and easy to solve, while the game's crafting system is straightforward enough to be fun. Plus, the visuals (bright, cartoonish and bursting with colour) match up nicely with the rinky-dink soundtrack. A great option for kids. The Switch's day-one game brings back the iconic Italian plumber for more racing-related fun. This time around, the formula has been changed up slightly: no more racing in endless loops, for instance. Now, races take place across a series of changing tracks that travel from one side of the large world map to the other. It's possible to jump, ride along walls and indulge in a whole selection of new power ups, including a golden shell that trails coins and a jump-inducing feather. You can't say Nintendo without Zelda. Both of its mega-successful flagship games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have been given shiny new updates for the Switch 2, and they look fantastic: the colours are richer, the graphics are more detailed and Link moves through Hyrule with more ease than ever before. Load times have also been decreased, while HDR support has been increased. Link's adventures through Hyrule in search of the missing Princess Zelda have never looked better; you won't be able to go back. CD Projekt Red aren't messing about. In addition to The Witcher III's updates, they've also managed to wrangle a way to get their monumentally ambitious dystopian sci-fi game Cyberpunk 2077 onto the Switch 2 as well. The game is mammoth: this is no mean feat. And it's fun – you play as a mercenary in Night City, a lawless, Las Vegas-type place where cops, gangs and all sorts of nasties in between roam. It's also had a new spinoff card game announced, so now is the perfect time to dive in. Though Civilisation 7 was downloadable on the original Switch, it's well worth making the upgrade to the Switch 2. The game has been revamped, with new mouse controls (thanks to the improved Joy-Con 2s, GameChat support and vastly better graphics and performance. Just look at that 4k resolution and 1080p visuals: the details are sharp and crisp, and the mouse controls add a whole new level of enjoyment. Go forth and conquer.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nintendo's Switch 2 is out: here are the best games to get
Have you heard? The Switch 2 is finally out – and everybody's buying one. Since its launch last week, it's shifted a staggering 3.5m units, making it the best selling console of all time. And with its release, we're also seeing some of the best games on the market get a preparatory revamp. In addition to Mario Kart World, which released on the same day as the Switch 2 itself, we've also seen several day-one upgrades from the massive games that the Switch can now run. But good games don't come cheap – and in the interests of helping you decide, here are some of the best to invest in. Hazelight's newest co-op game has only been out for a few months, so it's no surprise that it's been tweaked for the Switch 2 just in time for its release. And it's worth it, too: the Switch's two Joy-Con set up means it's basically the perfect co-op vehicle, whether it's played on the small screen or linked up to the TV. The game itself is well worth the money spent on it. You and a friend play as Zoe and Mio, two aspiring writers who get trapped in simulations of their own stories (fantasy and sci-fi, to be precise). Puzzling your way through the various levels is a joy – as is the sheer inventiveness on display. This new Konami co-op title has been designed for the Switch 2 from the ground up. And it's also very cute: a survival game where communication and teamwork are key, the perfect excuse for using the Switch 2's GameShare and GameChat features. The puzzles – which are located on sweet islands perched on top of roaming Whurtles – are pleasingly intuitive and easy to solve, while the game's crafting system is straightforward enough to be fun. Plus, the visuals (bright, cartoonish and bursting with colour) match up nicely with the rinky-dink soundtrack. A great option for kids. The Switch's day-one game brings back the iconic Italian plumber for more racing-related fun. This time around, the formula has been changed up slightly: no more racing in endless loops, for instance. Now, races take place across a series of changing tracks that travel from one side of the large world map to the other. It's possible to jump, ride along walls and indulge in a whole selection of new power ups, including a golden shell that trails coins and a jump-inducing feather. You can't say Nintendo without Zelda. Both of its mega-successful flagship games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have been given shiny new updates for the Switch 2, and they look fantastic: the colours are richer, the graphics are more detailed and Link moves through Hyrule with more ease than ever before. Load times have also been decreased, while HDR support has been increased. Link's adventures through Hyrule in search of the missing Princess Zelda have never looked better; you won't be able to go back. CD Projekt Red aren't messing about. In addition to The Witcher III's updates, they've also managed to wrangle a way to get their monumentally ambitious dystopian sci-fi game Cyberpunk 2077 onto the Switch 2 as well. The game is mammoth: this is no mean feat. And it's fun – you play as a mercenary in Night City, a lawless, Las Vegas-type place where cops, gangs and all sorts of nasties in between roam. It's also had a new spinoff card game announced, so now is the perfect time to dive in. Though Civilisation 7 was downloadable on the original Switch, it's well worth making the upgrade to the Switch 2. The game has been revamped, with new mouse controls (thanks to the improved Joy-Con 2s, GameChat support and vastly better graphics and performance. Just look at that 4k resolution and 1080p visuals: the details are sharp and crisp, and the mouse controls add a whole new level of enjoyment. Go forth and conquer.
Engadget
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Nintendo Switch 2 review: More of what you love
Back in 2017, it felt like handhelds were dying. The PlayStation Vita was suffering from a lack of support and the 3DS was already on its way out. But then the Nintendo Switch arrived and became the hybrid console that launched 1,000 portable rivals. It proved you could make a device that was powerful enough to play games on your TV but also small enough to take with you anywhere. And by the time everything is all said and done, there's a good chance it will be the highest-selling console of all time. But making a proper follow-up can be difficult. So for the Switch 2, instead of changing everything up again, Nintendo took the best features from the original, upgraded them and gave us more of what we love. And even though this is just the start, it feels like I've been enchanted all over again. With the Switch 2, Nintendo improved everything we liked about the original while retaining its sleek and portable design. $449 at Walmart The Switch 2's design is the most obvious example of Nintendo not straying too far from the original's template. That said, nearly every component has been tweaked or upgraded in some way. The console's slightly larger dimensions (10.7 x 4.5 x 0.55 inches and 1.2-pound chassis with Joy-Con) help make way for a bigger 7.9-inch display. In fact, almost everything has been embiggened, including the face buttons, analog sticks and rear kickstand, the latter of which opens even wider than before. However, the Switch 2's biggest upgrade is its new Joy-Con. There's a familiar matte finish with more subtle red and blue accents, but instead of sliding them on and off like before, Nintendo gave them a new magnetic attachment system that comes with a very satisfying thunk. Meanwhile, detaching them is dead simple thanks to a handy button next to each trigger. So not only do the Joy-Con feel more secure, they are a pleasure to clip on and off as the need arises. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Nintendo didn't stop there though, because hidden in the edge of each Joy-Con is a sensor that allows them to function as mice. I will admit that I thought this feature was a gimmick at first. But in games like Civilization 7 that are traditionally best enjoyed with a mouse, they serve as a very welcome alternative to classic gamepad controls. They also work surprisingly well on the arm of a sofa or even your leg. This is handy because if you're playing games on your TV, you might not have a table or some other flat surface within reach. The Switch 2's 7.9-inch LCD is a significant upgrade over the panel on its predecessor. Not only is it larger (up from 6.2 inches), it's also higher res (1080p vs. 720p) while boasting a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR. With its auto-brightness setting turned off, the screen tops out at around 400 nits, though in titles with HDR, I've found that number can hit 450 nits or more. The downside is that the Switch 2's LCD screen's black levels aren't quite as good compared to an OLED Switch. This can make dark backgrounds look closer to gray, especially when viewed in a low-light environment. Sam Rutherford for Engadget When docked, the Switch 2's visual prowess expands to 4K at 60 fps or 1440p at 120 fps, though it's important to remember that those settings may not be available for every game. Sadly, the console supports VRR (variable refresh rates), but that only applies to its onboard display. On the bright side, the Switch 2 does seem to have support for auto low latency mode (ALLM), which is good for anyone who plays fast-twitch games like shooters. Judging the performance of a brand-new console is difficult because it often takes developers months or years to figure out how to truly optimize their games for a new platform. The Switch 2 features a chip from NVIDIA with a custom GPU that the company claims offers ten times more graphics power than what we got from the previous model, alongside support for features including DLSS and ray tracing. The console also comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded further using microSD Express cards. Sam Rutherford for Engadget First-party titles like Mario Kart World run beautifully, though we've sort of come to expect that from major tentpole releases from Nintendo. The only hint of stuttering I've seen is when I played four-player local co-op with Game Chat turned on and multiple video streams going at the same time. And even then, it's hard to tell unless you're really looking for evidence of slowdown. What might be the biggest indicator of the Switch 2's improved performance is the sheer number of AAA third-party ports available at launch. Cyberpunk 2077 looks excellent and without a direct side-by-side comparison with something like the PC version, it's difficult to spot where any graphical corners have been cut. And while Street Fighter 6 isn't quite as impressive since some of the flashier effects don't pop as much as they do on other consoles, it's still a very enjoyable experience. As someone who often criticized the performance of the original Switch as one of its weak points, I'm thoroughly encouraged by the increased power I've seen from the Switch 2 thus far. Sam Rutherford for Engadget One of the best things about the Switch 2 is that it supports wide backward compatibility with original Switch titles. The vast majority of games work as you'd expect, though there are some outliers, including titles like Ring Fit Adventure , as the Switch 2's larger Joy-Con don't fit inside the existing controller straps. Many of the NS1's accessories are also backwards compatible, so you can still play games like Ring Fit by pairing one of the original Switch's Joy-Con. The other current high-profile bug is an issue in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that can cause the game to crash when someone chooses a Mii Fighter. Thankfully, Nintendo is aware and working on a fix. The real treat is that many older games look and run better on the Switch 2 than they did before. Super Mario Odyssey plays even smoother, while games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are more beautiful than you remember thanks to an $10 upgrade pack (or free with Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack) that adds support for HDR, better graphics and more. However, the games that may have gotten the biggest boost are Pokémon Scarlet and Violet . Due to a free upgrade on the NS2, the game features a higher framerate, higher monster density, a longer draw distance and more. In some ways, it feels like a brand new game, and if it had launched like this back in 2022, Nintendo could have completely avoided one of the biggest knocks against it. Another major addition to the Switch 2 is the arrival of a built-in chat feature, including a new dedicated button on the console's controller. Setup requires a handful of identity checks, but once you've sorted that out, it's incredibly easy to use. You can invite people from your friends list to impromptu lobbies or create/join more permanent hangouts. Once you're in a chat, adjusting your settings is as easy as hitting the C button. From there, you can choose from a handful of screen layouts and background options, along with the ability to share your video, do voice-only or activate speech-to-text (or text-to-speech). And if you have a camera attached, you can put your face in chat too. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Nintendo has generally done a great job of making it easy to jump in and out of chats. With support for up to four video feeds and a total of 12 people per lobby, there's plenty of room for everyone in your family, no matter if they're in the next room or on the other side of the planet. The small demerits to Game Chat are that its frame rate and video resolution are relatively low (same goes for camera footage if you have one attached). The option to delete your background (aka green screen) often looks rather pixelated and if you watch closely, you may see video windows stutter unless you pin a specific view to your main feed. That said, because Game Chat is more about enjoying the company of others instead of producing clips for social media, I'm not that bothered. You don't even need to be playing the same game (or any game at all, for that matter) to be in a lobby with others. It's easy to use and the vibes are good, which is what's really important. However, you will need to pay for Nintendo Switch Online, which costs $20 a year. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Like the console itself, Nintendo didn't stray too far from the design of the original Switch's dock for its successor. You still get a plastic shell with more rounded corners and a slot that the Switch 2 can fit inside. There area handful of ports in the back (covered by a removable plate) for power (via the included USB-C cable and adapter), HDMI and wired internet. The big upgrade is that now there's a fan inside to help keep the console cool and provide better sustained performance. Thankfully, it's relatively quiet, so you won't have to deal with an annoying hum distracting you from your games. The awkward thing about the Switch 2's dock is that it has one less USB port than before. Aside from the single USB-C connection in back for power, there are only two USB-A jacks on the side. This means if you want to connect accessories like the camera, which only comes with an included USB-C cable, you'll either have to get an adapter or plug it directly into the Switch 2 via its exposed port on top. Unfortunately, that will force you to disconnect the camera every time you undock the console, which is just kind of clunky. I wish Nintendo had made every USB port a Type-C connection, or at the very least included more than one. The Switch 2 features a 5,220 mAh battery, which according to Nintendo should provide between 2 and 6.5 hours of runtime on a single charge. However, the console's longevity also greatly depends on the game you're playing along with other factors such as screen brightness and background downloads. Sam Rutherford for Engadget To help provide a slightly better picture of the Switch 2's power efficiency, I played a handful of titles starting at 100 percent battery and kept going until the console was dead with the screen set to max brightness (around 400 nits) and auto-brightness disabled. These settings are meant to provide a consistent but also conservative look at the console's runtime, as it's very possible to increase longevity by doing things like lowering brightness. In Mario Kart World, the Switch 2 lasted two hours and 23 minutes, which is on the lower end of Nintendo's official estimate. Meanwhile, in the NS2 edition of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the console fared a bit better with a time of 2:56. That said, the game with the best battery life I've tested so far is Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S at four hours and 15 minutes, which shouldn't be a big surprise as it's a port of a decade-old 2D title. Sam Rutherford for Engadget For some folks, these numbers might be disappointing. I certainly would love an extra 30 to 60 minutes of battery life, but these stats are generally in line or slightly better than what we get from rivals like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally X. And remember, when compared to practically all of its PC-based competition, the Switch 2 remains a much sleeker device. Another helpful battery-related improvement is the addition of a charging limit, which allows the Switch 2 to automatically stop at a certain percentage to help maintain the power pack's longevity. But my favorite little detail is now the Switch 2 will display a small battery icon when you drop it in the dock because the screen peeks out a bit, so you always know for sure when it's charging. At $450 for the console alone or $500 for the bundle with Mario Kart World , the Switch 2 is priced significantly higher than the original, which cost $300 at launch (though that increase is closer to $50 when adjusted for inflation). However, when you include the price of accessories and games, the total adoption cost for a Switch 2 can be substantially higher. I purchased a standalone console along with physical versions of Mario Kart World and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NS2 Edition) and one Pro Controller for $745.75. But after you tack on another $50 for one year of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion, my grand total was just shy of $800. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Everyone has different opinions on what they consider disposable income, but that's still a lot of money to spend on a new console and two games. Here's hoping this breakdown helps people think about how the Switch 2 will impact their budget. The Switch 2 requires a day one patch in order to go online or even play some games. You'll normally get this automatically by following the setup guide when you first turn on the system. However, if you skip the section where it asks you to connect to Wi-Fi, you may need to manually download the patch later by hitting the check for updates button in system settings the next time you connect to the internet. The Switch 2 only supports microSD Express cards, which are not interchangeable with standard microSD or microSD XC cards. When buying a microSD Express card, you'll want to make sure it has an EX or EXPRESS label printed on the card itself. In addition to Joy-Con, a Joy-Con Grip, two Joy-Con straps and the console itself, the Switch 2 comes with an HDMI cable and a 60-watt power adapter with a detachable USB-C cord. Some units may suffer from an inaccurate charging indicator, which can be addressed with these instructions from Nintendo. Parents can monitor and approve the people your kids can talk to when using Game Chat via Nintendo's Parental Controls app. Nintendo says the Switch 2's Joy-Con use an all-new module for its analog sticks. As they aren't Hall effect modules, it's too early to tell how well they will resist drifting. Only the Switch 2's bottom USB-C port supports video out. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The old adage goes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' But for the Switch 2, Nintendo did something even smarter. It maintained the console's hybrid design and just made everything better. Its screen is bigger and brighter. Buttons are larger and the magnetic Joy-Con are so much easier to snap on and off. Even features such as the kickstand and expandable storage feel like they've gotten substantial upgrades thanks to a wider range of motion and support for faster microSD Express cards. I also really appreciate the addition of a second USB-C port. The Switch 2 has everything that made the original so great, but now there's more of it to enjoy. Granted, Nintendo's latest console commands a higher price, but as the successor to the iconic system that revived handheld gaming, this thing is worth it.
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Nintendo Switch 2 sales set a record in four days
Nintendo announced Wednesday that it sold more than 3.5 million Switch 2 consoles, marking a new record for the company. The Japanese company said that it's the 'highest global sales level' for any Nintendo device within the first four days of release and perhaps puts Nintendo in good shape to meet its goal of selling 15 million Switch 2 devices by the end of next March. 'We are thankful for their response and happy to see the fun they are already having with Nintendo Switch 2 as they explore new features and games that bring friends and family together in new ways,' said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer in a press release. Excitement has swirled over the $450 device because it's Nintendo's first major console launch since the original Switch arrived about eight years ago. The original Switch ended up selling 152 million units since its 2017 release. Nintendo released the Switch 2 on June 5, with hardcore gamers lining up for hours for the gaming console and Best Buy stores extending hours to meet demand. Nintendo has made significant upgrades to the Switch 2 hardware to justify the hefty price increase, including a larger screen, upgraded versions of the Joy-Con controllers and new social features. It also has several new features, including a Game Chat function that lets gamers communicate with other players by tapping a button on the console. CNN's Lisa Eadicicco contributed to this report.
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Nintendo's Switch 2 soups up the graphics, but does it deliver the games?
WASHINGTON: I'm cruising around Bowser's Castle with my old pal Toad. It's not exactly relaxing, what with all the lava pits and banana peels and turtle shells littering the road. Add 23 other characters – is that a cow driving? – who are trying to get to the finish line first, and it's chaos. The hectic, high-speed insanity of any race in the new Mario Kart World would have caused the eight-year-old Switch console to wheeze a bit. And that's why we've got the Switch 2 (US$449.99/RM1,907), the souped-up sequel to Nintendo's popular home-and-portable hybrid. It looks prettier, too. The 7.9in portable display (up from 6.2in) boosts the resolution to 1020p (from 720p), and while the LCD screen isn't quite as sharp as an OLED screen might have been, it's much cleaner than the original recipe Switch. It looks even better when connected to an HDTV since it now supports 4K and HDR. Nintendo has always stood apart from the technological arms race that fans of Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox obsess over, insisting that first-rate games don't necessarily depend on high-powered computer chips. But you could feel the strain in 2023's The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom , with its at-times blurry graphics and sluggish framerate. The Switch 2, with a faster framerate of 120 fps, corrects much of the fuzziness. That's not to say it comes close to matching the high-definition performance of the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox X/S. If you're expecting the jaw-dropping graphics of, say, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows ... well, no. There is good news for those of us who have gotten weary of the old Switch's dinky 32 gigabytes of internal storage. The Switch 2 multiplies that by eight, for 256GB. Of course, flashier games take up more space, so if you want more room you'll have to invest in a microSD Express card – which is a bit pricier than the standard memory card used in most portable devices. Magnets, how do they work? The Switch 2's Joy-Con controllers have undergone some tinkering. As before, you can attach them to the sides of the screen if you're playing on the go. If you're at home, you can attach them to a doohickey that feels more like a traditional joystick. Either way, they're now more firmly connected with magnets, which provide a satisfying snap. Both the left and right Joy-Cons now include an optical mouse, which you can use by placing the controller on its edge and rolling it around on a table. (Nintendo says you can also use it on your pants, but I prefer using a clipboard on my lap.) It remains to be seen how many Switch 2 games will call for a mouse, but 2K's port of Sid Meier's Civilization VII seems like a good candidate. What about the social options? And then there's a new button labeled "C' on the right-hand Joy-Con. That calls up GameChat, which lets you start up a conversation with other players – provided you've all taken the time to register yourselves as friends. (Eventually, you'll also need to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service, but that requirement doesn't kick in until March 31, 2026.) The microphone is built into the Switch 2, though if you want to upgrade to video chat, you'll need to buy a separate Nintendo camera. Finally, there's GameShare, which lets you play selected titles with other Switch users even if they don't own the software. Nintendo has been emphasising the new social features in its marketing, though it feels like it's catching up to the competition. The kids I know who play Fortnite or Minecraft on competing consoles seem to have figured out long ago how to chat with their pals. Welcome to the 2010s? Who's got game? As with any console launch, the driving question is: Does it have the games? There are just a couple of Switch 2 exclusives out now: Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour , a US$10 (RM42) demo package that really should have been free. There are some new-to-Nintendo ports of excellent titles like Split Fiction and Cyberpunk 2077 . You can get upgrades of classics like the last two Legend Of Zelda adventures. And the Switch 2 is fully backward-compatible, so you can play everything that came out for the Switch as well as a substantial library of older titles. There's no other machine that will let you play future installments of beloved franchises like Zelda , Super Mario Bros , Super Smash Bros and Animal Crossing . None of those have been announced yet, but some marquee names – Donkey Kong and Kirby – will star in Switch 2 exclusives later this year. There's plenty of competition out there, though, and not just in the TV-connected console market Switch shares with the PlayStation and the Xbox. Nintendo no longer has the portable market to itself, thanks to Valve's SteamDeck. Some models of that device cost less than the Switch 2, and it already has a huge library of PC games. Meanwhile, Microsoft announced over the weekend that it's teaming up with Asus on the ROG Xbox Ally, a handheld that will be out before Christmas. Honestly, we'll probably have a better idea of the Switch's quality a few years down the line, after developers get a handle on what the new hardware can do. If you're dying to get back behind the wheel with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach right now, though, you know what you need to do. – AP
