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Tech News
Pokémon Champions, the battle simulator, launched on Switch in April and got a mobile version in June with nearly identical gameplay. Despite cross-platform parity, mobile devices were excluded from this year's World Championships, and new rules starting September 1st only allow phones at local tournaments, leaving Switch hardware required for regional events and above.
New handhelds like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, Ally X, and Lenovo Legion Go line now outperform the Steam Deck in benchmark tests and frame rates, though the gap is often small. Despite a price hike from $450 to $500 in September 2026, the Steam Deck remains cheaper than these rivals, while the Nintendo Switch 2 also stands out as a pricier but capable alternative with DLSS and HDR support.
Shapefarm, a studio founded by former Hazelight developers, has released its debut couch co-op title Orbitals, drawing heavily on retro anime aesthetics reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion and Sailor Moon. The game follows two young space colonists, Maki and Omura, as they navigate a stranded colony threatened by radiation storms and reliant on respawn machines called IMs to survive.
Nintendo has confirmed a pair of streaming events next week: a 30-minute special on September 8 marking The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary, followed by a standard 45-minute Nintendo Direct on September 9. Both start at 10AM ET. The Zelda stream is expected to focus heavily on the previously announced Ocarina of Time remake, while the general Direct will likely cover upcoming releases like Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort.
Nintendo will host two Direct presentations on consecutive days next week: one dedicated to Zelda content, likely covering the leaked 40th anniversary Switch 2 hardware, the Ocarina of Time remake, and the upcoming live-action film, followed by a standard Direct focused on Switch 2 titles launching this winter. The second broadcast will be followed by a Nintendo Treehouse livestream showing gameplay footage.
Nintendo released Version 4.0.0 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, adding an eight-player split-screen mode exclusive to the Switch 2, up from the previous four-player cap. The update also brings CameraPlay support for USB webcams during multiplayer, compatibility with higher-resolution TVs, and faster loading times on the newer console.
Nintendo has released a free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tailored to Switch 2 hardware, enabling local split-screen play for up to eight people using original or Switch 2 controllers. The update also brings CameraPlay support for seeing friends via camera during races, shorter loading times, and improved visuals in docked mode.
Nintendo released a free update for Mario Kart 8 on Switch 2 that enables local split-screen racing for up to eight players, alongside higher resolutions, faster loading, a slight speed boost, and CameraPlay support. The 12-year-old title has sold roughly 80 million copies and is using the Switch 2's extra power to push far beyond the series' usual four-player split-screen limit.
Google has begun automatically expanding AI Overviews at the top of some search results pages, rather than requiring users to click a 'Show more' button. This pushes the usual list of website links, and an 'Ask anything' box, further down the page, forcing more scrolling to reach traditional results. Google says the behavior is inconsistent and applies only to select queries where its systems determine an expanded view is more useful.
Nintendo will raise the price of its base 256GB Switch 2 console from $449.99 to $499.99 beginning next Tuesday, September 1st. The company had previously announced the increase, and it also recently unveiled two game bundles priced above $500 that include a slight discount.
FromSoftware's Elden Ring, including the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, has arrived on Switch 2 as the 'Tarnished Edition,' letting Nintendo owners experience the acclaimed open-world game for the first time on the hybrid console. After roughly 10 hours with the port, the game runs well enough to hold up despite not matching the technical fidelity of other versions.
CD Projekt Red announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live that a remastered version of The Witcher 3, bundled with both existing expansions, launches September 29 as a free upgrade for current owners. Switch owners will also get a complimentary upgrade path to the Switch 2 version. The remaster brings visual improvements plus reworked skill trees, combat, camera, targeting, movement and mount handling.