There was plenty for us to pore over during yesterday's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, but there is one character in particular that has caught the hearts and minds of everyone who watched: Mario Kart World's cow on scooter. Read more

Judging by reactions online across the world, the cost of the Switch 2 and its software has proven to be controversial. Perhaps Nintendo knew this, considering it didn't include the price in the actual Direct presentation.Here in the UK, the console will cost 395.99, or 429.99 bundled with Mario Kart World, when it launches on 5th June. That's compared to the 280 launch price of the original Switch, and 310 launch price of the OLED.It's the increase in the cost of games themselves, though, that's proven most shocking. Mario Kart World, for instance, will cost 74.99 for a physical copy, or 66.99 digitally. That's an increase from 49.99 for most brand new original Switch games.Nintendo Switch 2 Live Reaction - How Much Will It Cost? Let's Find Out!Watch on YouTubeDonkey Kong Bananaza, meanwhile, is slightly cheaper: 66.99 for a physical copy and 58.99 digital. There's the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour game too, which will cost 990 yen according to the Japanese website - that's around a fiver.It should also be noted that some Switch 2 physical game cards won't actually include the full game, but include a download key instead. As for the difference between physical and digital pricing, this appears to be a shift towards pushing digital games - especially with the addition of the sharable Virtual Game Cards Nintendo revealed last week.Still, accounting for inflation, the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle works out cheaper in the UK than the original Switch with a copy of Breath of the Wild in 2017.To directly compare the consoles alone, 280 for the original Switch works out at 367.40 today with inflation, still cheaper than Switch 2. However, throw in the big launch game and it's a better deal - an original Switch with a separate copy of Breath of the Wild cost 340 at launch in 2017, which works out at 446.13. That's pricier than the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle.Over in Europe, the Switch 2 console costs 469.99, or 509.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle. That's equivalent to the cost in the UK.It's a different story in other parts of the world, however.In Japan, for instance, Nintendo will be selling a region-locked console at a lower price, in a bid to stop importers due to the weak yen.The Japan-only console will cost 49980 yen (around 258.95), but will only play Japanese games in Japanese language, with a Japanese Nintendo account.A more expensive Switch 2 with multilingual support will also be available at 69980 yen, around 362.57. That's still slightly cheaper than in the UK, though doesn't account for import costs.As for the price of Mario Kart World in Japan, it'll be 9980 yen compared to the cost of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the original Switch at 6578 yen. As Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, wrote on social media, that's 52 percent more expensive, which is a higher jump than the 33 percent rise from $60 to $80 in the US.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.As for the console itself in the US, it costs $450, but there are fears this could rise to as much as $600 if impacted by new tariffs from the Trump administration.Tariffs - taxes charged on products when they enter the country - could be as much as 46 percent on products from Vietnam, which is where the majority of Switch 2 manufacturing has taken place, Kotaku has reported.David Gibson, analyst at MST Financial, confirmed to The FT: "Export data combined with finished product codes confirms that Nintendo shipped finished Switch 2 [from Vietnam] across five days in January for a total of 383,000 units with all of them going to the USA."He added: "I suspect this occurred to test the distribution system and get ahead of the risk of tariffs. I expect the numbers to have ramped-up significantly in February and March."Wrote Niko Partners director of research and insights Daniel Ahmad on social media: "Nintendo shifted its manufacturing to Vietnam to avoid tariffs and with todays reciprocal tariff announcements they're likely going to end up paying tariffs anyway."Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis also suggested to IGN Nintendo "probably had a range of pricing for the US market in play up until the last minute due to the uncertainty on import tariffs", which is why the price wasn't included in the Direct.However, analysts don't believe the pricing will impact sales of Switch 2 initially."Based on what we're seeing across the market, sales to higher-income or more affluent households likely won't be impacted by this pricing," Circana analyst Mat Piscatella told IGN. "And, of course, we have the price insensitive super enthusiasts that will do and pay whatever it takes to acquire the Switch 2 at launch. Therefore, because of the limited quantities that will be available during the launch year, I do not anticipate this pricing to hinder year one sales volumes."The true test will come in year two, as supply is likely to become more readily available, and the addressable market will be forced to widen. So, we'll have to see what happens over the next 9-12 months."And compared with Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro at 699.99 and Valve's Steam Deck OLED at 479.00, the price of Nintendo's new console still appears reasonable.Of course, this all depends on whether consumers are able to pre-order, as Nintendo is enforcing strict criteria on pre-orders from its own Nintendo store in a bid to reduce scalping. That's based on playtime and the requirement of a Nintendo Online account.In the meantime, multiple online UK retailers have already gone live and sold out of Switch 2 stock, without the need to meet Nintendo's criteria.For more on the new console, here's everything announced at the Switch 2 Direct.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereOver the past seven and a half years, Epic Games has introduced thousands of Fortnite skins. While most of these were available to all players through the Item Shop, a significant number were exclusive to the Battle Pass. As a result, those skins will never be available in the game again. Unfortunately, this means that newer players will never be able to get their hands on iconic skins, such as Omega and The Reaper.Epic has introduced numerous variations of original skins, some of which have gained popularity. However, the Fortnite developer is shifting away from exclusivity. It started with the Battle Pass, and now PlayStation Plus skins are following suit.Fortnite x PlayStation Plus skins are no longer exclusiveThis month, Epic released another PlayStation Plus skin. This skin is free to anyone who has an active PS+ subscription and can only be obtained on Sonys gaming console. However, once added to the locker, the skin is usable on every platform. These skins, as well as other PlayStation Plus cosmetics, used to be exclusive but this no longer seems to be the case.This is one part of the description of the new PlayStation pack:The content of this offer occasionally refreshes and may be available for purchase or may be given away, together or individually, in the Fortnite Item Shop or elsewhere in the future.Shinji, a new PlayStation skin, may come to the Fortnite Item Shop. Image by VideoGamerBesides Shinji, the new PlayStation skin, Epic will also bring the Virtual Servpak back bling and the Crimson Codeblade pickaxe to the Item Shop. This means that all the future Fortnite x PlayStation Plus skins will likely be non-exclusive as well. The current pack will likely be available for at least a month, and it may come to the in-game shop in the second half of 2025. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereDead By Daylight has just released Chapter 35 starring Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul as a new DBD killer. This new killer has some great perks, and is now available to play on all platforms. While Ken Kanekis arrival is great, there is a lot more for players to anticipate over the very near future. A leaker has shared a schedule for upcoming content, and this Dead By Daylight schedule includes the release day for Five Nights At Freddys as well as an imminent new survivor.Dead By Daylight schedule reveals release date for FNAF and moreOn X, Dead By Daylight leaker, Dvveet, has shared a schedule for upcoming DBD content. This includes the Chapter 35.5 survivor, as well as Five Nights At Freddys.Its important to point out that content scribed in italics is an educated guess based on BeHaviours track record, but below is the schedule according to Dvveet:Blood Moon event April 7thChapter 3.5 PTB (presumed) April 15thChapter 35.5 PTB (presumed 2) April 22ndTechwear Collection April 22ndBlood Moon event end April 29thChaos Shuffle event April 29thChaos Shuffle event end May 6thChapter 3.5 live release May 6thRift 23 release May 6thAnniversary livestream May 9thFNAF PTB May 27thFNAF Chapter live release June 17thImage credit: @Dvveet on XFrom the above, we can gather that the Chapter 35.5 PTB is coming out on either April 15th or the 22nd. This will be the first opportunity for fans to play as BeHaviours last original survivor for Year 9.As for FNAF, BeHaviour has confirmed that the PTB is coming out in May after the anniversary livestream at PAX. They have said it comes out late in the month, so May 27th seems a safe bet for the Five Nights At Freddys public test build.We dont know anything about the survivor for Chapter 35.5 other than they are an original character. Before their arrival, make sure to buy the Hellraiser chapter if you havent already as it is fully leaving on April 4th.For more Dead By Daylight content, check out ourranking of the top 10 DLC expansions to buyalong with a ranking of thebest killer perksandbest survivor perks.Dead by DaylightPlatform(s):Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Survival Horror7VideoGamerRelated TopicsDead by Daylight Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Known as the de minimis exemption, it has been used by the Chinese shopping giants Shein and Temu to send millions of packages to the US each year duty-free, helping keep the prices of their products low for Americans. But the exemption is also important for marketplaces like eBay and Etsy that allow people in the US to buy goods from China-based sellers.Scrapping the measure may also negatively impact Amazon, which recently launched a division for affordable made-in-China products that competes directly with Temu and Shein. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump tried scrapping the de minimis provision for Chinese packages in February via a separate executive order, but he quickly walked back the measure after it became clear that US Customs and Border Protection did not have the resources in place to inspect millions of additional packages a day and ensure the correct associated tariffs were being paid. His new order says the duty-free exemption will go away on May 2, giving CBP a few weeks to prepare.Ram Ben Tzion, cofounder and CEO of Publican, a digital shipment vetting platform, says he believes Trump intends to use eliminating de minimis as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, because if the policy is really scrapped and replaced by high tariffs, it could radically reshape online shopping as Americans know it.The magnitude and the importance of this, if it does ultimately come into effect, is gigantic, says Ben Tzion. It could dramatically change e-commerce. It could dramatically change some of the giants that we have known over the past few years.Some tech companies, however, especially those already entrenched in areas like logistics and data analytics, may see opportunities in Trumps trade policies. Almost immediately after the tariffs were announced, defense contractor Palantir published a blog post promoting an artificial intelligence service that the company boasted integrates a wide array of data sources to help businesses ensure that tariff-related decisions consider the full operational context.Jay Gerard, the head of customs and logistics at the Mexico City-based tech and logistics startup Nuvocargo, says that as much as he hates tariffs, theyve created more demand for his companys services. Nuvocargo operates as a freight broker between Mexico and the US, and sells software that helps customers get their goods across the US border. It also helps them process customs documents. The company is now forecasting an increase in customer activity for April, May, and June, predicting that the tariffs will boost business.Still, the past month has been chaos for importers and shippers, Gerard says, leaving many of them in expensive holding patterns. Early in March, Trumped slapped a 25 percent tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports, only to walk it back a couple days later. During that short time, Gerard says, if a freight truck crossed the border, the importer paid the fee.If they imported $100,000 worth of drinks that day, he explains, they were paying $25,000 in duties. If the truck crossed a day later, that disappeared.

Coming in Hot?Some of the biggest Nintendo Switch 2 features won't work out of the box and will require an updateThough the Nintendo Switch 2 is about two months away from launch, we may not be able to use all of its advertised features on day one.Image credit: Nintendo News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on April 3, 2025 Now that everyone is a bit more sober after yesterdays massive Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, its time to dig through the press releases and read the fine print. Shortly after the shows conclusion, Nintendo updated its various regional websites with more details on the hardware and some of the console's new features.Unfortunately, it doesnt sound like all everything we got to hear about will be immediately accessible out of the box.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The big Nintendo Switch 2 press release on Nintendos corporate website offers a few more details on several of the new features coming with the new console, such as GameChat. More importantly, it lists all the major hardware specs (though without specifics).One thing that stands out, however, is that two of them will not be available out of the box, and will instead require an update. Nintendo does not say whether said update will be available on day one, or sometime after launch.The first, and arguably most important, is the Switch 2s ability to support external storage. The upcoming console supports both microSD and microSD Express. However, as noted during the presentation, youll only be able use the Express cards to store games.Unfortunately, microSD Express cards will not be supported immediately. Nintendo says youll need to download a system update before the console can use them, which seems a little silly, considering that Express is the only type of SD card youll be able to use to store Switch 2 games. The 256GB internal storage will have to suffice until then.The good news is that the Switch 2 can read standard, non-Express microSD cards, but youll only be able to use them to transfer screenshots and videos from your existing Switch. Its interesting that you wont be able to use them to play Switch games on the new system, though. Donkey Kong is a bit shocked by this. | Image credit: NintendoThe other Switch 2 feature that will also require a system update to work is not as impactful. The page notes that while 3D audio, the surround sound effect Nintendo showed off in the Direct, will be available out of the box for headphones/external speakers, the Switch 2 will require an update to enable it for the built-in speaker.This isnt a big deal, seeing as most people will either have the console hooked up to their TVs via HDMI (the Switch 2 supports linear PCM 5.1ch), or use it in handheld mode with headphones. The few that really want to blast it using the built-in speaker will have to wait a little longer to get the surround sound effect.The Switch 2 launches June 5.

"I don't understand why there's any debate to be had".Yesterday, as you'll all be aware, Nintendo showed off the Switch 2 along with a bunch of games, one of which was a new entry in the Donkey Kong saga.Donkey Kong Bananza showcased a new version of the character, marking the first time he's been redesigned for a game since Rare's Donkey Kong Country back in 1994.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Make it snappy.We were slightly mixed on the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera when it was revealed in yesterday's GameChat rundown. Sure, it's a neat little curio and we're sure it will lead to some fun times, but there's no denying that it looks a little... Kinect-y.Well, all of those fears are now banished as we've seen that accessory manufacturer HORI is making an official Piranha Plant-inspired design for the camera. Folks, it's adorable (thanks for the heads up, VGC).Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Expanding into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains a costly and complex challenge for global businesses, thanks to fragmented regulations and banking systems. Dubai-based fintech Fuse aims to simplify that with a cross-border payments API and has raised $6.6 million in seed funding to make it happen.Founded in 2023 by George Davis, former co-founder of BVNK, and CTO James Smith, Fuse says its the first infrastructure-grade payments platform offering virtual International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs) in the region. This is a product Davis says is commonplace in Europe but nearly absent across MENA.Were currently the only provider of virtual IBANs in the Middle East, Davis told TechCrunch. Its a hyper-commoditized product in Europe, but here, it simply didnt exist.Fuses core product includes USD virtual accounts for cross-border money movement and dirham-denominated IBANs for local UAE payments. That allows the startup to offer first-mile collections and last-mile payouts for international businesses without requiring them to set up a local entity, handle their own FX, or navigate licensing.Davis outlines two legacy options for global companies trying to move money in MENA: local payment firms that lack scale, or larger cross-border players like Thunes, which often operate without local licenses and rely on patchy partnerships.Fuse sits in the middle with a fully licensed, infrastructure-grade platform that simplifies money movement across the Middle East using virtual IBANs and local payout rails. With these options, global businesses can operate in the region without setting up local infrastructure or navigating regulatory red tape.Most of Fuses clients are businesses in the U.S., Europe, and Asia that want to operate in MENA but lack the banking setup or licenses to do so quickly.Virtual IBANs to do the jobOne use case is employers of record (EORs). For instance, a U.S.-based company with employees in the UAE typically needs a local bank accountsomething hard to obtain without residency or licensingto pay salaries in dirhams under the correct business name. Fuse solves this by issuing USD-denominated virtual IBANs, allowing businesses to top them up and pay salaries locally in AED (dirhams) directly to named beneficiaries.Customers can create unlimited IBANs in their end customers names and make local payments, said CEO George Davis. Those customers dont need to be residents or have local entities; they can be anywhere in the world.Fuse now serves over 20 clients, including EORs, remittance firms, crypto platforms, marketplaces, and PSPs. Clients include DLocal, RemotePass, and platforms like Deel, Airbnb, and Etsy as they expand into MENA.The UAE remains Fuses anchor market, but the platform has begun enabling direct payouts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan and supports wholesale foreign exchange for Indian and Chinese businesses operating in the UAE that need to repatriate funds through controlled corridors, some of the regions busiest trade and remittance routes.There are many startups in various regions with identical offerings but Davis sees more similarities with Visa-backed Currencycloud. Both offer virtual accounts, FX, and cross-border payments, but while Currencycloud is global, Fuse is built for the Middle East, he said.And its striking at the right time. Businesses across MENA arent just underserved; theyre transacting more than ever, driven by a surge in e-commerce and digital payments. That demand, Davis believes, creates a rare window for regional infrastructure players to win.Global cross-border payments tend to be winner-takes-all markets, he said. But to win, you now need local specialists. Thats what were building.Experience from TrueLayer and BVNK So far, its working. Fuse is processing hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter and growing revenue more than 50% month-over-month. In fact, Davis says Fuse made more this quarter than it did all of last year. The company makes money by charging fees on each transaction.Daviss interest in solving cross-border payments for the Middle East came from firsthand experience. At TrueLayer, he helped scale the fintech from a data aggregator to a payments and open banking platform serving over 100,000 businesses. At crypto infrastructure startup BVNK, which he co-founded and served as chief product officer, he saw how hard it was for global businesses to expand into the Middle East.We were supporting global businesses using stablecoins to move money out of emerging markets, he said. We felt the pain of entering MENAand so did others I was advising. Thats what sparked Fuse.He launched Fuse in 2023 with CTO James Smith, a longtime collaborator who led engineering at both TrueLayer and BVNK. The two now lead a 12-person team across engineering, product, and compliance.Northzone, the European multi-stage VC that has backed the likes of Klarna and Spotify, led the $6.6 million round, with participation from Flourish Ventures, Alter Global, and notable angels, including Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga GB Agboola and former Morgan Stanley MENA president George Makhoul.The Fuse team is transforming payment infrastructure in one of the worlds fastest-growing markets, said Sanjot Malhi, partner at Northzone. Their ability to simplify MENAs complex cross-border flows is exactly what the region needs.Fuse plans to use the fresh capital to grow its team, secure additional regional licenses, and expand its product suite beyond the UAE.BVNK grabs $40 million for its crypto banking services

The caller identity app Truecaller said that it crossed the 450 million user mark earlier this week. The company said that it added 50 million users in the past 10 months and 15.5 million users since the beginning of 2025. India is the companys biggest user base. So it wasnt surprising when Truecaller promoted Chief Product Officer and MD of India operations, Rishit Jhunjhunwala, to the CEO position after the companys co-founders decided to step back from day-to-day operations last year.Image Credits: TruecallerJhunjhunwala said that while India remains a critical market for Truecaller, it also saw growth in other regions.We are proud that we now serve more than 450 million users globally. As before, we continue to see steady growth in our largest market, India, but the fastest relative growth is in markets outside of India. So far in 2025, we see strong growth trends in Latin America, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Malaysia, and the US, to mention a few markets, he mentioned in a blog post.Truecallers growth and position in India might be challenged as the countrys telecom department is pushing mobile carriers to implement its own caller ID system, which could rival the Sweden-based companys product.The company said that throughout Q4 2024, it maintained an active user base of nearly 430 million users. The company had positive results for the quarter ending December, with net sales up 23% and profit after tax up 29% year-over-year. The companys stock is up more than 33% year-to-date at the time of writing.Earlier this year, the company also integrated its caller ID product to work better with iOS. Until then because of operating system level restrictions from Apple, the live caller ID feature wasnt on par with its Android equivalent. Truecaller has also focused on creating value beyond just caller ID by introducing products like call recording and transcription and an AI-powered assistant for call screening. It has been trying to improve its experience as an SMS and chat client.