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Title: The Morning After: Let's talk Switch 2 pricing

Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2025 11:15:00 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-...

NintendoΓÇÖs new console has finally been revealed in full, with magnetically
attaching Joy-Cons, a new chat function and a bigger higher-res 7.9-inch
screen that supports 120Hz and HDR.

Then there are the new Joy-Cons. Alongside larger SL and SR buttons made of
metal, the controllers can be disconnected by pressing a more pronounced
release button on the back. The big upgrade, though, is using either Joy-Con
like a mouse. (And even use them on your pants, if you want to.)

The Switch 2 also uses DLSS, so itΓÇÖs easier for developers to port games
across to the hybrid console. In a very Nintendo way, it didnΓÇÖt actually
talk up the hardware specifics, so NVIDIA had to fill in the gaps.

Engadget

According to NVIDIA, responsible for the chip inside, the Switch 2 has ΓÇ£ten
timesΓÇ¥ the graphical performance of the original. DLSS tech means games can
be rendered at a lower resolution, and trained AI models and dedicated Tensor
Cores can be used to fill in extra details.

With that extra power, the Switch 2 supports up to 60 fps at 4K resolution
and 120 fps at 1440p or 1080p resolutions, docked. The 1080p screen can
handle variable refresh rates up to 120Hz in handheld mode, too.

Yes, catching up with the last two decades, the Switch 2 can also do video
chat (and voice chat, but yawn). However, it demands a sold-separately
camera, costing $50. Boo.

I think that strikes at the issue of price. The original Switch was $300 at
launch, the PS5 starts at $399 now. The Switch 2 is $450. Sure, that includes
the screen and (technically) two controllers, but itΓÇÖs a bit of a jump.

Is Nintendo factoring in tariffs? Possibly. While some of us think $450 is an
appropriate price for the console itself, the costs are creeping up in every
direction. Want the new must-have Mario Kart World? ThatΓÇÖs $80 now.
Meanwhile, older games re-released on the Switch 2 also won't be cheap.
Cyberpunk 2077 rings in at $70. Oof.

If you want to expand storage, well, youΓÇÖd need a microSD express card, the
faster, pricier version of the tiny storage card. Need another pair of Joy-
Cons? That will be $90, please.

Want to pre-order a Switch 2 ahead of the June 5 launch? WeΓÇÖve got all the
details, but itΓÇÖs worth noting Nintendo is trying to get ahead of scalpers
by offering a dedicated pre-order system for existing heavy Switch users with
a Switch Online subscription.

In NintendoΓÇÖs words: ΓÇ£Invitation emails will be prioritized on a first-
come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch
Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a
minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025.ΓÇ¥

Read on for our hands-on impressions of the Switch 2.

ΓÇö Mat Smith

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here!

Even more Switch 2 stuff

Nintendo Switch 2: Everything you need to know

The Switch 2ΓÇÖs Joy-Cons can double as mouse-like controllers

Mario Kart World hands-on: The perfect launch game for the Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 has built-in voice chat and screensharing GameChat will
be free until March 31, 2026. Nintendo

While we didnΓÇÖt get to try it at the early hands-on event, voice chat is an
integral part of the new Nintendo console. By pressing the new C button on
the right Joy-Con, players can jump into a GameChat with friends and family.
Nintendo demoed the feature during its recent Switch 2 Direct, alongside a
new Switch 2 Camera, enabling video chat too, with a cut-out profile. It
looks a lot like a stream on Discord, with windows along the bottom of the
screen for every chat participant. Up to four friends can share their screen
and join with video chat if they own the Switch 2 Camera.

Continue reading.

Want a less ugly Switch 2 camera?

National Security Council adds Gmail to its list of bad decisions Signalgate
was just the start.

ItΓÇÖs not long since that Signal messaging app disaster, but US politicians
continue showing off their minimal national security expertise. The
Washington Post reports that members of the White HouseΓÇÖs National Security
Council have used personal Gmail accounts for official government business.
National security advisor Michael Waltz and a senior aide of his both used
their own accounts to discuss sensitive information with colleagues.
Government departments typically use business-grade email services, while the
federal government also has its own internal communications systems with
additional layers of security.

Continue reading.

How to add someone to a Signal group chat

GoogleΓÇÖs Pixel Buds Pro 2 are back on sale You can pick up a pair for $179.


GoogleΓÇÖs latest wireless earbuds are on sale via Amazon for just $179. This
is a record-low price, down from $229. As per our review, they sound great.
They provide a good low end, which is tough to do with earbuds, and crunchy
highs. Google says it redesigned the entire audio system, and it shows. We
called out the ΓÇ£noticeable improvementΓÇ¥ over the original Pixel Buds Pro
earbuds.

Continue reading.

'Careless People' author will testify on Meta at Senate hearing This will be
Wynn-WilliamsΓÇÖ first remarks since Meta took legal action against her.

Sarah Wynn-Williams, the former Facebook policy director who wrote a best-
selling memoir about her time at the company, will testify at a Senate
Judiciary subcommittee hearing next week. In her book, Careless People, Wynn-
Williams recounts Meta executivesΓÇÖ interactions with world leaders and
government officials as FacebookΓÇÖs influence expanded globally in the early
2010s. Her account has resurfaced information about FacebookΓÇÖs attempts to
operate in China and revealed new details about its overtures to Chinese
government officials.

Prior to her bookΓÇÖs publication, Wynn-Williams also filed whistleblower
complaints about alleged misconduct at the company.

MetaΓÇÖs attempts to curtail sales of the memoir spectacularly backfired,
with the book seeing explosive sales after reports suggested Meta took legal
action against the author. Now thereΓÇÖs a senate hearing too.

Continue reading.

The worldΓÇÖs smallest pacemaker is injectable and powered by light And it
dissolves when no longer needed. Northwestern University

Engineers at Northwestern University have developed the worldΓÇÖs smallest
pacemaker. ItΓÇÖs so small that it fits in the tip of a syringe. It safely
dissolves into the bloodstream after a time, so itΓÇÖs a temporary solution.
ItΓÇÖs designed for folks who need heart help short-term, like newborn babies
with congenital defects. The pacemaker pairs with a wireless device mounted
to a patientΓÇÖs chest. When it detects an irregular heartbeat, it shines a
light that activates the pacemaker.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-...
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