As you might suspect from the title, everything in A24s teen apocalypse comedy movie Y2K is so 1999 it almost hurts. There are CDs galore, Sisqs Thong Song, video stores, dial-up, and many, many more relics of that era. While this parade of references keeps the movie light, funny, and a generally good time, there is one 1999 cameo thats so good, so integral, that it rises above everything else. And now that Y2K is on Max, this cameo alone makes the movie worth checking out.In case you want to go into the movie completely unspoiled, well just give you a brief overview to start. Y2K is your typical teen comedy: Two friends (Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison) who hover on the periphery of their schools various cliques set out to have some fun on New Years Eve 1999. The pair find themselves having a great time at a party thrown by Soccer Chris (The Kid LAROI), one of the most popular kids in school, only for the calendar to flip over to the year 2000 and technology to decide its time for uprising is at hand.Written and directed by Saturday Night Live vet Kyle Mooney, who also shows up in a very funny but short-lived stoner role, Y2K balances its two tones well. Its sweet and funny in all the ways you expect a solid coming-of-age high school movie to be, but lively, surprising, and gory enough to fit nicely into the robot apocalypse genre, too. Think The Worlds End by way of Superbad.But with all that in mind, lets take a second to talk about the movies biggest surprise, because thats truly Y2Ks biggest appeal.[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the second half of Y2K; read at your own risk.]Lets cut straight to the chase. Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst is the person weve been talking around this whole time, and while weve been calling his appearance as himself a cameo to keep things simple, its a little more honest to say that hes a supporting actor, since hes in most of the movies back half.Durst first shows up in a video store and greets the few teens that manage to survive the initial party, and is playing a wonderful, post-apocalyptic version of himself 1999 facial hair and all, though he looks a little older now. Its a hilarious surprise at first, but when Durst starts really engaging with the kids, and eventually joins their group, it kicks up to a new, much funnier level.Durst plays himself with a degree of wonderful earnestness, taking a mentor role and passionately extolling the virtues of rap-rock he eventually uses it to sort of save the world with an incredibly funny acoustic version of Limp Bizkits Faith.Its a testament to both Mooneys writing and Dursts performance that this whole bit delicately treads the line between genuine heart and absolute silliness, without ever slipping to the wrong side or being overly mean to the former nu metal star. Its all used to careful but hilarious effect. It even gets the perfect ending, when the movies coda reveals that Durst has become a wildly wealthy businessman, gets elected to Congress, and is the owner of the massive national corporation Durst Industries.Y2K isnt quite successful enough to cement itself into the teen movie canon, but the fact that most of its jokes are designed for people who were born in the late 1980s means that wasnt its core audience anyway. But if some funny jokes, a few winning performances, and a great use of Fred Durst sound up your alley, then Y2K is the perfect way to spend an evening on Max.Y2K is now streaming on Max.

Mario Kart World answers the question, How do you follow Mario Kart 8? While the previous entry became fully stuffed with new and throwback racetracks, playing Mario Kart World at Nintendos hands-on Switch 2 preview event blew up all my assumptions of what a Mario Kart track can be and what the future could hold for the franchise.The arcade racer hasnt yet strayed from its format, but thats about to change when Mario Kart World is released alongside the Switch 2 on June 5. In the time I spent with Mario Kart World during the preview event, I most enjoyed all the times I wasnt strictly racing. I was just driving and vibing.We loaded up for a massive game of Knock-out Tour, where 24 folks compete in a marathon-style race across ever-changing terrain. But because I happened to be one of the first to pick up a console, I spent a long time waiting for everyone else but not idly. Instead, I was able to drive wherever I wanted across the landscape.First, I drifted down a snowy road, feeling how my heavy cars tires dug in the deeper snow off the track. I vaulted across a ramp, soaring longer and farther than I ever had in a Mario Kart game before. I weaved through busy highways, which were a mix of normal vehicles and some extra-large Nintendo variants, some spewing gold coins in their wake. I even whipped around quickly and drove against traffic to get a closer look at a mushroom diner sign that I had missed on my last pass by.As an aside: Mario Kart World seems packed with Nintendo nostalgia, and primed for poring over by superfans. The world is full of small Easter eggs you might not see while racing by, or other drivers you may pass on the road. (I yelled in delight when I got passed by the penguin from Mario 64!) But in Knock-out Tour, I had the option to take roads at my own pace, which feels luxurious, instead of throwing a race for the sake of seeing some detail.Comparisons to Forza Horizon 5 seem apt, as it feels like Im just cruising around until the event starts. While there may not be as robust driving options Mario Kart is still an arcadey game! I enjoyed the drive. I wanted to see what was around the next bend, with so many terrain and track types merging together seamlessly.It also takes off the pressure of responding to items or dealing with the actual race. One of my longstanding criticisms of Mario Kart is how it isnt always your fault if you lose, and thats still true on the extremely long Knock-out Tour. I was knocked out pretty early partially my fault for picking a character based on aesthetics. (Sorry to the beefcake biker version of Bowser; youre very heavy!)But it did make me curious and excited to try out the Free Roam mode advertised in Wednesdays Direct, which seems to offer a lot more variety in driving. (Youll also drive between courses in a cup, but the hands-on demos only rotated me through single tracks.)There are so many other things to appreciate: the weird new items, which I havent seen all of yet; the surprisingly deep bench of characters available as drivers. But I cant wait to cruise around uninhibited and take them in at my own pace.

Apples AirPods Max are undoubtedly the pinnacle of Apples headphone lineup, delivering exceptional sound quality. However, their battery life isnt exactly stellar especially if youre not in the habit of slipping them into their Smart Case after every use, which helps preserve battery life by putting them in an ultra-low power mode. Fortunately, Paris-based design brand Bionic has introduced a minimalist solution that takes the hassle out of keeping your AirPods Max charged and ready to go the Bionic Magnetic Charging Stand.The Bionic charging stand isnt just a resting place for your AirPods Max its a dual-purpose dock that ensures your headphones remain charged without any extra effort. Simply placing the headphones on the stand initiates charging, making it easy to ensure theyre always powered up when you need them.What sets this charging stand apart is its intuitive design. Unlike traditional docks where you might expect to fiddle with aligning a Lightning or USB-C connector to fit into the ear cup, Bionic has streamlined the process. The stand comes with a small magnetic adapter that remains plugged into your AirPods Max. When you place the headphones onto the stand, the adapter automatically aligns with the magnets in the dock, initiating the charging process seamlessly. This smart design means less wear and tear on your connectors and a more effortless charging routine. The stand is compatible with both Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Max, ensuring broad usability regardless of your model.Crafted in three sleek finishes Silver, Space Grey, and Midnight the Bionic Charging Stand feels as premium as the headphones it supports. While its unclear what the weighted body is made from, it exudes a modern, minimalist aesthetic that complements any desk or bedside table. The dock is also designed with a soft rubber buffer where the headphones rest, preventing any potential scratches or damage to your AirPods Max.While the Bionic Charging Stand color options dont cover the full range of AirPods Max colors, they provide enough variety to find a match that suits your personal taste and setup.The Bionic Magnetic Charging Stand is globally available in Silver, Space Grey, and Midnight for 175, or approximately US $189, directly at bioniclabs.org.Photography courtesy of Bionic.

In the heart of Austins Travis Heights neighborhood, the afternoon sun streams through the vast north-facing glass addition of the Travis Heights Historic Home by architect Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. Light casts geometric shadows across limestone floors embedded with ancient fossils 145-million-year-old remnants of giant clams that once inhabited this land, now preserved alongside 19th-century horseshoes and indigenous arrowheads. This juxtaposition forms the conceptual foundation of this renovation project, highlighting how time and place can be interpreted.James Gibson Swisher, Texas Ranger and signatory of the Texas Declaration of Independence, built the brick home in 1851 using materials fashioned from a kiln he constructed along the Colorado River. Today, it stands as the second oldest brick residence in Texas, its original foundation now serving as the first floor a testament to the resourcefulness of frontier craftspeople working with local resources and traditional techniques.The current owner, driven by a deep appreciation for Austins architectural heritage, approached the renovation with reverence. They wanted to be sure the addition would not mimic or be confused with the rare original structure, and instead, it should be true to its time. This philosophy manifests in the contemporary glass structure that frames downtown views and creates an intimate connection with the surrounding landscape.The landscape design extends onto a rare 1.25-acre urban plot. Native gardens, a prairie roof meadow atop the cabana, and thoughtfully integrated recreational spaces create a sustainable backdrop that spotlights Texas natural surroundings while providing contemporary amenities.When craftsmen discovered charred wood remnants from a 1920s attic fire, rather than discarding these damaged elements, they repurposed them as ceiling material for the ground floor spa bathroom transforming damage into design. As such, the interiors create a dialogue between different eras. The preserved historic sections embrace a lounge-like atmosphere with rich textures and ambient illumination, while the modern addition offers bright, airy spaces ideal for gathering. A grand spiral staircase connects these four distinct levels.Visit Michael Hsu Office of Architectures website for more information.Photography by Chase Daniel.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is the first Nintendo console to be a direct successor to a predecessor, number and all. Sure, everyone knew what Super Nintendo meant, but now more than ever, Nintendo is looking to competitors like Sony for cues, aiming for a simpler and more straightforward next-gen upgrade this time around. It makes sensethe Switch was its most successful home console yet, and when Nintendo tried to follow up the Wii with the more out-of-left-field Wii U, it flopped. So why mess with success? But that strategy does leave the Switch 2 in a precarious position, especially given its hefty $450 price point. Is there really enough new here to justify an upgrade? After going hands-on, Id say yes, but with a disappointing caveat.The Switch 2 is a lot like the Switch 1 The Nintendo Switch 2 console and a few selected accessories. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Unlike how the Wii or Nintendo DS changed how we played games, if you already have a Nintendo Switch, then you are mostly already familiar with the core experience of using the Switch 2.Its still, essentially, a tablet with removable controllers that can optionally hook up to your TV to display on the big screen. There are a few new bells and whistles, but Nintendo hasnt strayed far from that vision here.Its a good vision, but sticking to it means that listing the improvements here involves relying more on specs than the new experiences Im used to with Nintendo products, and the results dont exactly work out in Nintendos favor.Once again, the company is using old hardware. Nintendo hasnt been upfront about the chip the Switch 2 uses (although there are rumors that its already five years old), but to cut it short, theres nothing here you havent already seen in competitors like the Steam Deck or, more charitably, the Lenovo Legion Go.Starting with the good: The screen is now 1080p instead of 720p, and a roomy 7.9-inchesan increase from both the 6.2-inches on the original model and 7-inches on the OLED model. It can also support up to 120 fps, and when plugged into a dock, is theoretically capable of playing 4K games at 60 fps or lower-resolution games at 120 fps (this will vary based on the title, which Ill get to later). Theres even ray-tracing, according to a roundtable I attended with the hardware designers, although I wasnt able to confirm whether I saw it in action while I played. The Nintendo Switch 2 boasts an improved kickstand. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Theres an extra USB-C port up top, too, which is convenient, plus a built-in microphone for the GameChat feature (which I didnt get to demo, just like the GameShare feature). The kickstand has also been redesigned to be sturdier and allow more angles, and the dock has a fan that cools your console to help keep performance stable over long sessions. (I wasnt able to hear it in person, which is good, but the event where I got to play the Switch was pretty loud.)Perhaps the best improvements, though, are to the Joy-Cons. They now connect magnetically and feature larger thumbsticks and trigger buttons, plus more prominent SL and SR buttons, all of which makes them far more comfortable to use. I considered the original Switch Joy-Cons pretty much unusable, but with these, I actually wouldnt feel much pressure to buy a Pro controller. Plus, they have a couple of new secrets, which Ill discuss a little bit later. The Nintendo Switch 2 has magnetic controllers. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt As for the negatives, the Switch 2 is a little bigger and a little heavier than the Switch 1, although I wouldnt have really noticed without putting the spec sheets side by side. The screen is also an LCD, which means owners of the Switch OLED might actually notice a bit of a downgrade here. Its a tradeoff for cost and the increased size and frame rate, but its worth keeping in mind. Honestly, as much as I love OLED, I dont actually mind this too much. The screens still plenty bright and colorful, and its small enough that Im willing to accept the balancing act Nintendo is playing here. The company will almost certainly release an OLED version down the line, anyway.Really, the device itself is plenty sleek, but it definitely reads as more Switch rather than new Switch. Just looking at the improvements on paper, Im not sure theres much reason to upgrade just for the new tech alone, which is concerning given that its the only real change that doesnt rely on future developer support. Even if youre a hardware nerd, the differences here arent as stark as they were between, say, the PS4 and the PS5. Rather, they more so just bring Nintendo in line with the competition, although perhaps still remaining a few years behind.That means that, more than ever, its up to the games to sell the Switch 2.But first, mouse controls! You can play the Nintendo Switch 2 while using the Joy-Con 2 like a mouse. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt But before I talk about those games, I do have to address the one big new feature here. While its not as flashy as motion controls on the Wii or the gamepad on the Wii U, the Switch 2 does have one new standout feature that other consoles dontmouse controls.In theory, I love these. By simply turning a Joy-Con 2 on its side, you can suddenly slide it around and use it like a mouse. A cursor will show up in your game if its compatible, and suddenly, it'll be like playing on a PC.There are a few tradeoffs. The grip needed here is a bit more claw-like than Im used to, and pressing the face buttons while the Joy-Con 2 is on its side can be pretty uncomfortable. But when I tested mouse controls in Civilization VII and, yes, Metroid Prime 4, they immediately felt like the natural way to play. I simply cant go back.This gives the Switch 2 a lot of potential, but its really up to developers to capitalize on it. It could become the de facto way to release shooters, RTS, or MOBA games on console going forward, which is a bit funny as those games tend to be more associated with older gamers and the Xbox. But it could also easily fall by the wayside as a tech demo, like in Drag X Drive, a game I tried that has you using both Joy-Con 2 as mice simultaneously to control a wheelchair. Ill leave it to people who actually use wheelchairs to comment on the accuracy here, but it certainly was noveland very tiring after just about five minutes.The potential here has me excited, perhaps more than anything about this system. Competitive shooter players could potentially play out of their living room here. Heck, you could easily use this to enable more accurate DS or Wii U backwards compatibility. But with actually implementing these being left up to individual developers, I am still a bit skeptical for now. How many games actually used Wii MotionPlus, anyway?Metroid Prime 4 makes the case for Switch 2 Metroid Prime 4 is improved for the Nintendo Switch 2 Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Easily, the game that sold me most on the Switch 2 was Metroid Prime 4, and Im not even much of a Metroid Prime person. (I liked the first game well enough, but generally prefer the 2D titles.)The game, however, was gorgeous, and played like a dream. Sitting down with it was one of the few moments where I thought this wasnt possible on Switch 1. Funny, because the game is technically cross-gen.Still, Nintendo made a point of saying that Metroid Prime 4 runs at 1080p/120 fps on the Switch 2, and while thats fairly modest compared to what Ive gotten used to on the consoles contemporaries, dang if it didnt feel great to see that level of technical polish and fidelity combined with Nintendos trademark show, dont tell design. And the fidelity actually serves a gameplay purpose here, too, as the increased frame rate makes keeping up with the action much easier.And thats without getting to the controls, which are certainly not possible on any other console. Ive played prior Metroid Prime games with just a controller, and with the motion controls in their rereleases, but mouse controls are easily the best way to move Samus in 3D. Aiming for weak points on bosses is immediate and snappy, and being able to quickly jerk your mouse to a vantage point makes taking in the scenery, whether for scanning or just eye candy, a breeze.All this does come with a bit of a risk, as a less skilled developer could easily lean too far into these improvements, and turn Metroid into what is essentially a Halo clone. But even in the brief demo I played, I noticed the same thoughtful level and encounter design Id come to expect from the rest of the series (not to diss Master Chief too much).If the Switch 2 needs a lawyer, Metroid Prime 4 should be it, because it makes a convincing case for the console, even if its still representing its older sibling too.Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza feel like more of the same Gliding is back in Mario Kart World Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt If Metroid Prime 4 feels like a game that needs the Switch 2, then the consoles other big first-party titles, or at least the ones Ive played so far, land in more dangerous waters.Put simply, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza feel like games that could have released for the Switch 1. Theyre both pretty, dont get me wrong, but theres nothing so novel about the gameplay here that requires a new console to power it. They use art styles that are pleasant, but so similar to what youd find on the Switch 1 that Im not sure the average person could pick them out from Mario Kart 8 or Super Mario Odyssey if you put them in a lineup.Of these two games, Mario Kart World suffers more from this. Playing it was just like playing Mario Kart 8, for better and worse. The good: Mario Kart 8 is a good game! The bad: Mario Kart 8 is a good game.Frankly, it feels like Mario Kart World has little reason to exist, and little reason to be exclusive to the Switch 2, except to sell the console. Its few new additions, being grinding, wall jumping, and a battle royale style multiplayer mode, are all things that could have been achieved without forcing players to spend at least $500 to get them, and are pretty easy to not even notice during play. Again, its Mario Kart 8, but more, and players would be just fine not swapping over to it.Granted, theres one elephant in the room with all of this, in that I didnt get to try out the Forza Horizon style free roam mode much. This, I could have seen struggling on the original Switch. But Im also skeptical how necessary it is. This could either be a full-blown map worthy of sinking hours into so you can find every detail, or a glorified lobby to drive around in while waiting for online matchmaking. But as for the core Mario Kart experience, its still strong but not a system seller, and not an appreciable improvement over what came before beyond some only very slightly better visuals. Is it me, or does this Donkey Kong design look more like he did in the movie? Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Donkey Kong Bananza, meanwhile, is the big 3D platformer holding up the Switch 2s launch window (itll be available about a month after the console itself). Again, a lot of what I said about Mario Kart World holds true here. It looks good, but doesnt exactly stand out from a good looking Switch 1 game. Mechanically, its also mostly something that doesnt require the upgrade, so it could have been a Switch 1 game if Nintendo really wanted.That is, except for the destructible environments. Donkey Kong is recast as a bit of a miner in this game, and you can pretty much tear the whole map apart, polygon by polygon, with debris flying everywhere. Im convinced that if you made enough compromises to the visuals, this could have worked on Switch 1, but still, it is noteworthy that Bananza is both very pretty and never chugged while I was playing.Still, and this hurts to say as a fan of Donkey Kong, Bananza is kind of a chore to play. Maybe itll get better further into the game, but Donkey Kongs first 3D platformer since the Nintendo 64 weirdly falls into the same trap that game did: too many collectibles.Because you can tear the whole map apart polygon by polygon, and because almost every one of those polygons reveals a reward, it makes maintaining the same kind of flow state that Super Mario Odyssey, a game the Bananza is taking clear influence from, so heavily encouraged near impossible. Rather than focusing on fluid movement through an obstacle course, youre instead incentivized to smash and destroy nearly every part of the map, making worlds a bit of a slog to actually get through as you slowly pick them apart.Or you could accept that you dont have to get absolutely everything, if you dont suffer from the same kind of optimization sickness I do. It is fun to simply play as Donkey Kong, but even in that case, I feel the game could be better designed to support this, since the courses here do seem to be laid out more for Mario than DK. A less linear design might support the penchant to go ape more, but to be fair, I only saw the first world.Third party games are a mixed bagNintendo has a few more first party Switch 2 games announced for later on, although I didnt get to play tantalizing titles like Kirby Air Riders yet. Instead my pre-release experience with the Switch 2 was rounded out by third-party developers.The games I tried were, sadly, the biggest reason I remain skeptical of the Switch 2. From Cyberpunk 2077 to Street Fighter 6, it was a grab bag of quality. Given how old most of these games are, and that they all run well on devices like the Steam Deck, that really shouldnt be the case.Case in point: Cyberpunk is just flat out ugly on the Switch 2. Its pixelated, the frame rate dips constantly, and I found myself frequently disoriented in combat. Its clearly an example of the Switch 2 reaching above it means, which goes to show that while the system is prettier than its predecessor, its not the fix for the typical Nintendo performance issues some were hoping for.To be fair to Cyberpunk, the build I played was only seven weeks old, and I didnt seem able to swap out of quality mode and into performance mode despite trying, but it puts a pretty clear cap on this systems performance at about the PS4 level. That is impressive for a handheld, but its also something we previously saw with the cheaper and older Steam Deck. If the Switch 2 sticks around for as long as the Switch 1 did, it could also start to feel long-in-the-tooth pretty quick, as other companies are already on the verge of leaving that era behind.Civilization VII also chugged a little bit, although this was less of an issue given its turn-based nature.But on the plus side, Street Fighter 6 and Yakuza 0 Directors Cut ran without hiccups and at high-enough resolutions. The latter should be expected given that games age, but as for the former, its nice to know that Capcom knows how to work with Nintendos hardware. Even so, Street Fighter was still noticeably pixelated at times, so its not like the Switch 2 is the best way to play Street Fighter 6. It's the best way to play it without compromises if you dont own any other modern gaming machines.That's an improvement on the Switch 1, and might be enough for now. But given Cyberpunks performance, even knowing how demanding that game famously was at launch, I do worry that it wont be long until the Switch 2 falls into the same trap as its predecessor: Third party developers will either skip the console entirely (I was hoping Monster Hunter Wilds would be here, given that series history with Nintendo platforms, but its MIA for now), or their games will be more and more compromised here as time moves on.The best games on the Switch 2 are Switch 1 (and GameCube) games Breath of the Wild's Switch 2 Edition is buttery smooth Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Which brings me to maybe my saddest realization of my time with the Switch 2. The games I enjoyed playing most on Nintendos new console are all games for the Switch 1.Breath of the Wild. Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Metroid Prime 4. Even Mario Party Jamboree. All of these run flawlessly on the Switch 2, at high resolutions and even higher frame rates. It's really such a breath of fresh air, especially given that some of Nintendos more ambitious Switch 1 games didnt always perform the best on that system. (I didnt get to play Tears of the Kingdom, but it is planned for a Switch 2 upgrade, and it sorely needs it.)In a vacuum, this is eye-opening. One of Nintendos strongest game libraries, now with no technical chains around its ankles. But it also comes with three of the Switch 2s strongest downsides.The first, and most obvious, is that a Switch 1 game does not make for a good Switch 2 killer app. Even Metroid Prime 4, the game I praised as being the best reason to get a Switch 2, will still technically be playable on the Switch 1. And that means that thrifty gamers are plenty likely to just live with not having mouse controls, or with occasional frame drops, since they can still get the same core experience without spending hundreds of dollars for it.The second, and most obnoxious, is that you have to pay to get these improvements. Even if you already own Kirby and the Forgotten Land for Switch, and you buy a Switch 2 for $450, youll need to pay once again for the Nintendo Switch 2 Enhanced Edition version of the game to play it using the power the Switch 2 already has. Otherwise, youre going to get a similar experience as you would on the Switch 1, barring some potential slight improvements like marginally faster loading times. To Nintendos credit, you can upgrade your existing Switch 1 library for a smaller fee than youd have buying the new version outright, but its still a hard pill to swallow. It plays your existing Switch games, but better would have been a reason to buy here, especially if the launch lineup doesn't do anything for you, but alas.Third, it's not guaranteed that the Switch 2 will play your existing Switch games at all. According to Nintendos hardware developers, the new console does not contain any Switch 1 components in it, which means that it plays the non-enhanced versions of Switch 1 games using emulation. This isnt an immediate killing blow, and Microsoft is in fact fairly well respected for how it handles a similar approach on the Xbox. But it does mean that Nintendo has found issues with running over 120 games on the Switch 2, some of which have difficulty even starting up. Out the gate, the Switch 2 is going to take some time to be an appropriate Switch 1 replacement, as Nintendo goes through all 10,000+ Switch titles one by one to ensure they work on the new console. Dont throw away your old Switch quite yet. The GameCube controller for the Nintendo Switch 2 Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt There is one bright spot to Switch 2 emulation, though: GameCube support. Starting with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur II, Nintendo is going to start adding GameCube games to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack plan, exclusively playable on Switch 2 (and compatible with an optional GameCube style controller, sold separately exclusive to Switch Online members). Wind Waker was flawless for me in my hands-on, and suspending and resuming was instant. $50 a year is a lot to pay for such a small selection of titles, especially when there are, ahem, other ways to get them, but it is convenient. And hey, as a bonus, the Expansion Pack membership does at least include the Switch 2 Edition upgrades for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.The Switch 2 is boring, and thats OKSo where does all this leave the Switch 2? Well, truthfully, its not as grim as Ive made it sound.At its core, the Switch 2 is a polished piece of hardware with a good deal of quality-of-life improvements and one new control gimmick (one I really like, but am unsure of whether itll catch on). It doesnt push the hardware envelope, and like the GameCube or Wii U (eventually), it relies on its games to sell it. And before I learned that it was $450 (why didnt we say that during the Direct, Nintendo?), this article was originally much kinder to it. But with that price point, which is $150 higher than the original Switchs price at launch, higher than a Steam Deck, and on par with Sonys entry-level PS5, I have no choice but to get a bit choosier. It isnt necessarily a problem, but it means I have to give this the same boring advice I would give almost any console launch, rather than the advice I would have normally given for a prior Nintendo launch.Unless your banana hoard is overflowing, or if you absolutely need the new Mario Kart on day one, or if you cant accept any compromise when you don Samus Arans helmet, you should wait to buy the Nintendo Switch 2. There simply arent enough compelling reasons to upgrade right now, and given that Switch 1 support is either paid or prone to glitching, I doubt there will be for a good while.Wait for a sale (or at least until the exclusive FromSoft game comes out).Thats fine. Thats what Ill probably say for the PS6, and it was probably the right move for Nintendo. The Wii U famously failed for throwing aside the strengths of its predecessor, so it makes sense for the Switch 2 to aim for Switch but more, and the only way to do that while staying anywhere in a family consoles budget in the age of tariffs is to do roughly the same thing again, but with some slight improvements.But it is still a slight disappointment. For something like the original Switch, I actually would have been fine recommending buying it at launch. It was novel and it was affordable, so you didnt lose out on much by going for it right away. Now, though, it seems even the Nintendo cant avoid the homogenization stomping all over the rest of the tech industry. Every phone is a candy bar now, and increasingly, every gaming console is just a featureless black box.

Yesterday, Nintendo finally announced its successor to the Nintendo Switch, fittingly named the Switch 2. I already wrote about my general experiences with the console, where I talked about how its mostly boring, but probably the right move on Nintendos part. Still, I wanted to take a moment to call out one part of the console that definitely isnt boring: the mouse controls.When you take one of the Switch 2s controllers, the Joy-Con 2, off the console and put it on its side, it becomes a mousesimple as that. If youre playing a compatible game, youll instantly see a cursor pop up on screen, and right away, youll be playing as if you were on PC. Rotate the controller to be upright again, and youll be back to a more traditional setup.This is akin to a magic trick. Despite consoles generally being easier to set up than PCs, and more often played from more comfortable positions like the living room, certain genres have eluded them for a while. These include shooters, strategy games, and other titles that benefit from quick and precise pointer movement. There have been attempts to fix that before, like with motion controls, but having gone hands-on with the Switch 2s mouse mode, its easily my favorite so far.Suddenly, the comfort of consoles and precision control of PCs dont need to be at odds anymore. There are a few drawbacks, which Ill get into in a moment, but I was surprised how well it worked overall.Take Metroid Prime 4. This series started off on the GameCube, with shooting almost entirely relegated to an archaic lock-on system. Then, it re-released on the Wii and later the original Switch with improved motion controls, but those could get tiring after a bit. Now, with Metroid Prime 4, it plays just like any other shooter (OK, the lock-on is still there if you want it, but you get my point).Thats huge. Granted, an exploration-based series like Metroid doesnt necessarily need to cross that threshold, but it worked nearly perfectly in my time with it, and represents so many possibilities for the Switch 2. Now, the Nintendo port of Call of Duty or similar titles might not be some compromised alternative when you dont have any other systems; it could be the best way to play, barring the PC. And this goes double for genres like strategy games, which often skip consoles altogether. Civilization VIII on the Switch 2 felt exactly like controlling it at my desk.But even if those more traditional use cases elude you, the mouse controls are the one place in the Switch 2s design where you can see Nintendos classic playfulness at work. About a month after the consoles launch, the company is set to re-release its latest Mario Party game with an enhanced port for the Switch 2, and as I saw first-hand, it took the opportunity to go all-in on the mouse.In a pre-release hands-on with the Switch 2 version of the game, I got to use mouse controls to play a convincing substitute for air hockey, a classic mouse avoider game, plus two mini-games that actually do things you cant do on a normal mouse.The first had me spray painting objects with the Joy-Con, then quickly shaking it to refill my paint canister. It wasnt the most robust experience, but it did show off one benefit to just tossing mouse functionality on an existing controlleryou can use the controllers other functions, like motion controls, in tandem with it.This was more noticeable in a stacking mini-game I played, where I had to use the mouse pointer in combination with the Joy-Cons gyro to make a taller block tower than my competitors without knocking it over. Throw in some oddball shapes, like a Yoshi stuffed animal, and it was great fun. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt But perhaps the most noticeable example of Nintendo doing something new with the mouse was in Drag X Drive, a basketball game that sees you controlling a player in a wheelchair. With its crude graphics and mocap-feeling animation, it definitely had tech-demo vibes, and Ill leave it to others more versed in the topic than me to talk to the representation of disabled athletes. But I will say that it might be the only game Ive seen played with two mice at once.In the game, you place both Joy-Con 2 controllers in mouse mode, then use your left hand to control your left wheel, and your right hand to control your right wheel. Honestly, it got tiring pretty fast, but it did feel shockingly accurate to the few experiences where Ive been in a wheelchair (although, again, Ill leave the real judgment there to experts).Its also another good example of the mouse controls combining with another Joy-Con feature, in this case vibration. The controllers did a great job of simulating my wheels drag on the ground as I turned them, which helped me know what needed moving where, and made controlling my character fluid enough that, yes, I was able to dunk.All this said, this playfulness has me equal parts excited and worried. As much as Im excited to see that new play experiences arent entirely dead on the Switch 2, mouse controls will only thrive as long as developers use them. Given Nintendos past history with accessories like the Wii MotionPlus, I worry that theyll quickly fall by the wayside following a few of its own first party releases.Theres also some physical discomfort to acknowledge here. The Joy-Con 2 technically have capabilities normal mice dont, yes, but they also lose out on ergonomics. Theyre much thinner, so I have to grip them with a very tight claw style thats not natural to me, and pressing the face buttons on them while using them as mice can be a bit of a challenge at first. Id love to see the ability to map the right stick to face buttons instead, but we shall see.Still, this is one feature I cant be mad aboutif only because Im still holding out hope that it may eventually lead to Nintendo DS and Wii U emulation in Switch Online. Playing games made for these consoles on other devices has always been a bit difficult because of their unique touch controls, even on mobile. But with a big screen TV and a mouse pointer taking the place of a stylus, we may finally have the perfect answer to this longstanding problem. Im beaming, as Im sure the dozen other The World Ends With You fans are.

What do modern speakers need? Good sound quality? As little distortion as possible? Longevity? Well, yes. Plus, according to Bang & Olufsen, marble plinths. Bang & Olufsen is debuting a partnership with Italian marble and granite company Antolini at Milan Design Week. The Beosound Balance Natura speaker features a sculptural base from Antolini that the audio company says elevates the device to its optimal height. Apparently, the plinth isn't just there for aesthetic it's a functional audio element.Let's face it, though: You wouldn't buy a speaker with a marble stand unless you wanted that marble pedestal. And that is why they're making the model available with various Antolini stones. You can get it with natural quartz, as well as with petrified wood and fossilized wood, if you're looking for something with earthy colors. The options have different translucency and color depth, but one common feature is the anodized aluminum ring that serves as the transition between the plinth and the bottom of the speaker.In addition to the Natura version of the Beosound Balance speaker, Bang & Olufsen is also presenting a Beovision Theatre 55-inch TV and a pair of Beolab 28 speakers customized with Antolini's Amazon quartite at Milan Design Week. All the products it's showcasing during the event are made to order with prices available upon request, which says all you need to know about its price range, especially since the basic Beosound Balance isn't cheap to begin with and will set you back $3,300.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/bang--olufsens-new-beosound-balance-speaker-model-comes-with-a-marble-plinth-131555070.html?src=rss

The original Switch started a revolution when it combined the portability of handhelds with the ability to play games on your TV at home like a traditional console. But with the Switch 2, even though it's physically bigger, it feels like a sleeker, faster and more refined take on its predecessor to the point that Nintendo should have called it the Super Switch (which apparently almost happened). And after getting a chance to try it out, I'm sold on its abilities, even with its significantly higher starting price of $450. Design and display: No OLED, no problem The Switch 2 has the same basic shape and layout as the original, including its signature detachable Joy-Con. But it looks more polished all around, thanks to tapered edges and slimmer bezels. Nintendo also increased the size of its joystick caps and the face buttons on the left controller, though the latter still doesn't feel quite like a traditional D-pad. Sam Rutherford for Engadget That said, the biggest upgrade is its larger 7.9-inch 1080p LCD display, which now supports a 120Hz refresh rate with VRR and high dynamic range. Frankly, it's super bright and very colorful to the point where I don't really miss having an OLED screen. Now there's a fair bit of grumbling that Nintendo, despite the existence of the OLED Switch, didn't opt for a similar panel type on the Switch 2. But if you remember, that model didn't support HDR, so it's not like we're looking at a downgrade in display quality, though the super deep blacks you get from OLED screens would have been nice. Also, the Switch 2 feels like it defies its dimensions because even though its display is larger than the 6.2-inch version on the base Switch, it doesn't feel that much bigger. It's only half an inch taller (4.5 inches) and a little over an inch wider (9.4 vs 10.7 inches). And while its weight has also increased to 1.18 pounds with its Joy-Con attached (up from 0.88 pounds), it never felt too heavy. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Elsewhere, there are a ton of quality-of-life upgrades, including a second USB-C port (though the one on the bottom is the only one that can do video out), a built-in mic and support for microSD Express cards. That last one is a big deal, because even though the cards are more expensive, they're also significantly faster than your standard fare and they should be a major boon to download speeds and load times. I admit the lack of analog shoulder buttons is a small downer, though Nintendo says it made that choice because analog buttons would introduce a tiny bit of input lag and it wanted to go with the more responsive solution. Joy-Con features: Expanded detachables During its livestream, Nintendo spent a lot of time talking about the C button on the right Joy-Con, which feels like a first-party solution that looks to recreate everything people like about Discord. But at Nintendo's hands-on experience, there weren't any chances to test out the console's new social features, so I wasn't able to dive deeper into that. Sam Rutherford for Engadget That's ok, though, because I think the Joy-Con's new magnetic mounting system is the hidden star. Not only is there a larger button around back for popping them off, they now detach simply when you pull them left or right. There's no need to slide anything up or down first. Granted, this sounds like a small change, but it makes the whole process so much simpler and the Joy-con seem to be more securely attached as well. Then there's the Joy-Con's ability to function as a mouse (for both the left and right controllers). I thought it was pretty gimmicky, until I played Metroid Prime 4: Beyondwhere I suddenly found myself favoring the mouse mode over standard gamepad controls. Everything feels a bit more precise and if you're a fan of shooters on PC, it's definitely worth trying out. The obvious limitation is that while you can use the Joy-Con on your leg, you really ought to have some sort of flat surface like a table, which may not be an option if your favorite place to game is on the couch. Performance: Nintendo's move to next-gen tech Sam Rutherford for Engadget Nintendo has kept relatively quiet regarding the Switch 2's processor and memory. But the company has said the system does support DLSS and hardware-based ray tracing. Now those features might not get used in every game, but it does seem to make it way easier for third-party developers to port their titles over to the company's upcoming console. When I played the new Switch 2 versions of Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077 and Civilization 7, they all ran really smooth. And without doing a straight-up side-by-side comparison next to a proper gaming PC, it was really hard to tell if the Switch 2 was cutting corners graphically, if it was even doing it at all. The only hiccup I noticed was rather long loading times in Civ, which isn't exactly uncommon for a Sid Meier game. The flipside to this is if you told me that some of Nintendo's new first-party games like Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World were actually being run on an original Switch, I wouldn't have blinked. In some ways, Nintendo's ability to wring every last bit of performance out of its hardware and its habit of eschewing hyperrealism in favor of more stylized graphics has almost put a ceiling on the company's ability to really show off its chops. But when you pay attention, you'll really appreciate how delightfully satiny Mario Kart looks when it's running at 120 fps. I still have questions about what's going on inside the Switch 2's new dock and how it's leveraging its increased performance to deliver 4K resolutions when connected to a TV. I also think it's a travesty that Nintendo is charging money for the Switch 2 Welcome Tour. It's barely a game, but it is a genuinely useful way to introduce the console's features to new owners and it really should be pre-installed on every system for free. It also remains to be seen how the Switch 2's battery life holds up. Nintendo says it has a larger power pack than the original Switch, but it also has increased performance and a larger screen, while the company claims runtimes may vary between two and six and half hours depending on the title. But all told, the Switch 2 is exactly what you want from a successor to Nintendo's legendary hybrid console. Aside from the price, that is, because in addition to the console starting at $450, almost all of its standard accessories cost more than before, too. From the Pro Controller, which now goes for $80 ($10 more than for the original Switch) or additional pairs of Joy-Con that cost $90 (another $10 hike). And that's before you factor in the cost of games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza that start at $80 and $70 as digital downloads (or $90 and $80 if you want physical carts). This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-hands-on-no-oled-no-problem-130002712.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.