Hello, I will be your driver for today, says Bartek Szurgot, a software engineer at German startup Vay and my chauffeur for this ride. He disengages the handbrake, gently presses the accelerator and the new Kia Niro EV Im sitting in slowly pulls out of the parking lot.As we approach the first intersection, Bartek indicates, turns the steering wheel, makes his observations, and drives out onto a busy road near the centre of Berlin. So far, pretty standard except for one big difference.Bartek isnt in the car. Hes in an office a few blocks away, controlling the vehicle like a high-tech puppeteer.Remote operators like Bartek command Vays cars from a video game-style station equipped with a drivers seat, steering wheel, pedals, and three monitors providing visibility in front of the car and to its side.Road traffic sounds, such as emergency vehicle sirens and other warning signals, are transmitted via microphones to the teledrivers headphones. Operators could be sitting on the other side of the world.Check It OutVay has developed a proprietary hardware and software system called drive-by-wire that communicates with the cars key controls, including the steering wheel, brake, and gear shifter. Electrical signals transmitted from the remote operating station tell the system what to do, enabling the car to mirror the remote drivers actions in real time.Redundant mobile networks transmit the data. In the event of a network failure or emergency, the vehicle automatically comes to a safe stop.Vays remote drivers spend most of their time delivering vehicles to customers, who hail the cars on an app. After the car arrives, users take the wheel and drive themselves.Teledrivers control the cars from remote locations. Credit: Sin GeschwindtCustomers can use the car for a short trip, hours, days, or even longer. Once theyre done, they stop the car safely in the road, apply the handbrake, get out, and carry on with their day. Then, a remote operator takes over again and drives on to the next client.As anyone familiar with autonomous vehicles will know, watching a car drive itself takes some getting used to. Knowing that my driver was blocks away, steering through screens and sensors, made every turn feel surreal. But once you get used to it, the ride is almost disappointingly normal I suppose thats the point.Vays tech is impressive, no doubt, but in Europe, regulators may strangle its potential before it ever scales. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Vay is accelerating.Vay already has a 40-strong fleet of remote-controlled cars in Las Vegas. In Berlin and across Europe, though, progress has been slower, with no commercial service in place yet.Due to regulatory red tape, Vay is limited to test drives only and is required to keep a safety driver onboard. It has previously received an exemption, though. In 2023, it used one such regulatory hall pass to become the first company to operate a car on a European public road without a person inside.However, the German government hands out such permits sparingly. Thats why I couldnt take the wheel on our test drive. That was Graemes job, our safety driver for the trip. Nevertheless, it gave me a firm idea of what to expect.Cameras are attached to Vays cars. Credit: Sin GeschwindtThe future of car sharing?When I first heard of Vays remote driving concept a couple of years back, I was skeptical. The company touted the benefits: less hassle, cheaper fares, better working conditions for workers. But it seemed like a business model at risk of fading into irrelevancy once self-driving cars went mainstream.But with my mind fixated on the paradigms of ride-hailing on one hand and full autonomy on the other, I may have overlooked that Vay was doing something radically different.Were creating a whole new category of mobility, Thomas von der Ohe, Vays CEO and co-founder, tells me from the companys headquarters in Berlin. After spending years in the Bay area building self-driving cars, he came back to Europe, founding Vay in 2018 alongside Fabrizio Scelsi and Bogdan Djukic.Vays rides in Las Vegas cost about half as much as Uber. Von der Ohe says they keep prices low by reducing driver labour costs. With ride-hailing services, its one driver, one car. But a single Vay driver can oversee up to 10 vehicles on any given day. When they drop one car at a customer, the drivers can teleport and gain control of another vehicle.Vay could offer a taxi-style service where passengers ride in the back, but that would cut into profits and drive up prices. Thats why letting customers drive themselves makes business sense, says Von der Ohe.Vay aims to make its biggest impact in car sharing and rentals, not ride-hailing. Von der Ohe says the company can match average car rental prices in Germany while helping rental firms cut costs by reducing the need for large parking facilities, especially at busy airports.Vay also hopes to provide a better version of car sharing. Customers dont need to pick up or park their cars major hassles in dense European cities. Fleet owners can keep vehicles in use longer, and Von der Ohe believes the model could even reduce private car ownership in urban areas.All this makes for a compelling value proposition. Vay has raised $150mn in funding so far, including 34mn ($37mn) from the European Investment Bank.But there are still many potholes in the road. Outside Las Vegas, Vay is still unproven and regulatory red tape isnt making things easier.In Europe, governments have been slow to adopt rules for remotely driven cars. Currently, the vehicles are subject to much the same guidelines as autonomous vehicles which are patchy at best.We have the tech, it works, it could be all over Berlin and Europe, says Von der Ohe. But politics get in the way, theres no consensus. Its just so weird.Vay has completed over 10,000 trips in Vegas and plans to scale its fleet of remote-controlled Kia Niros to 100 this year. The company recently secured a new production facility in Sin City where it will retrofit the cars with its drive-by-wire system and a relatively inexpensive set of cameras. To fund the expansion, the company is also lining up another funding round, says Von der Ohe.After my test drive, I called an Uber to take me to Berlin Brandenburg Airport. As it rolled up, I couldnt help but wish it arrived empty just waiting for me to jump in and take the wheel. Maybe one day. But for now, if I want that future, Ill have to book a ticket to Vegas. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Most people dont think about air quality until it becomes a problem. It might not be random if youve ever felt sluggish in a home office or noticed your allergies acting up indoors. CO2 levels, humidity, and temperature all affect how comfortable and healthy your home actually is. A car fire at my neighbors house a few months ago reaffirmed this for me. The SwitchBot Meter Pro CO2 Monitor is built to make tracking air quality easier and integrates with HomeKit over Matter.HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apples smart home framework.What can it do?At its core, theSwitchBot Meter Pro CO2 Monitoris a5-in-1 sensorthat measures:CO2 levelsTemperatureHumidityTime and dateComfort levelbased on the air qualityIt features alarge, easy-to-read display, and the built-in battery lasts up toa year. More importantly, it can send alerts when CO2 levels get too high, telling you when to crack a window or turn on an air purifier. Of course, you can automate the latter over HomeKit. Whats needed for HomeKit support?Heres the catch before you purchase: this isnt a native HomeKit device. It works with the SwitchBot app, but to get it into HomeKit, you have to enable Matter support through a SwitchBot Hub 2, which acts as a bridge. The Hub 2 supports Matter, and thats your way into HomeKit. Once set up, HomeKit will recognize the SwitchBot Meter Pro as a temperature and humidity sensor (though not as a CO2 monitor). That limitation aside, it still opens the door for useful automation opportunities within HomeKit.What can it do within HomeKit?Bridging this device over Matter/the Switchbot Hub into HomeKit adds some nice automation options:Trigger a smart plug to turn on an air purifier if humidity rises.Turn on a HomeKit-enabled air purifier based on readingsAdjust a HomeKit-enabled thermostat based on temperature readings.Get Siri updates by asking for the current temperature or humidity in a room.Use automations to flash a HomeKit-compatible light red when air quality worsens.The most significant missing option for it is that CO2 readings dont show up in HomeKit. If you want CO2 alerts, you must use the SwitchBot app alongside HomeKit. Its not ideal, but its better than nothing. The Switchbot app is pretty useful overall.Wrap upOverall, its a really useful and good looking product. If youre looking for a fully HomeKit-native CO2 monitor, this isnt it. But if youre okay using SwitchBots Hub 2 as a bridge, the SwitchBot Meter Pro CO2 Monitor can still be a useful addition to your HomeKit environment. It wont unlock every feature inside HomeKit, but with temperature and humidity automations, it can still unlock some pretty nice use cases.You can buy the SwitchBot Meter Pro CO2 Monitor from Amazon or directly from Switchbot. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Congressional Democrats want unelected government hatchet man and ketamine enthusiast Elon Musk to be regularly and randomly drug-tested.In a statement announcing the bill, New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill said that the longshot legislation would require Musk and his staffers at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to pass a drug test to retain their status as special government employees.Along with Musk's attested and problematic drug use which has already led to him being mandatorily drug tested by the government in the past one of the multi-hyphenate's top staffers, Alexandra Beynon, used to be head of engineering at Mindbloom, a telehealth service her husband cofounded that prescribes people therapeutic ketamine.Generally speaking, special government employee status has typically been granted to guest experts and consultants brought on to advise permanent executive branch officials. Under the rules that govern them, special government employees are not allowed access to the White House for more than 130 days per calendar year and eventually, Musk and his cronies will run out of time on their temporary passes.The congresswoman added that her bill was inspired, in part, by "Signalgate": the scandal that erupted in the wake of a journalist being accidentally added by a national security advisor to an unsecured Signal group text that discussed Yemen bombing plans."Those with access to sensitive information must be thoroughly vetted, clear-eyed, and exercise good judgment," Sherill declared.Notably, this bill was announced right before Politico's bombshell reporting that Trump has been telling his inner circle that Musk is on his way out of government.Musk and the White House have both claimedPolitico's reporting, which was later corroborated byNBC, is misleading. Still, this is far from the first time the billionaire's substance use has become an issue first with the Securities and Exchange Commission, then again with NASA, and now with DOGE.Ironically enough, it's unclear whether ketamine, the powerful sedative that appears to be Musk's drug of choice, is even on federal substance screening panels. Unless he's snorting the other white powder on taxpayer time, it's possible that the bill whichis unlikely to pass because the GOP controls both houses of Congress wouldn't even have the intended results.More on Musk and drugs: Video Shows Elon Musk Acting Very Strange at Trump DinnerShare This Article

No, this is not a belated April Fools joke. (Im not good enough at Photoshop tofake a photo like that.)In yet another mind-boggling fast food innovation, Subway has announced a new item in partnership with Frito-Lay: Doritos Footlong Nachos. Thats right, a foot of nachos, made out of Doritos.Im not sure what else you could possibly need to know beyond that, but the fine details, perSubway: The item is freshly prepared to order, starting with classic DoritosNacho Cheese flavored chips, layered with Cheddar Cheese sauce and shredded Monterey cheddar cheese, piled with the perfect amount of spicy jalapeno slices, diced tomatoes and red onions and finished with zesty Baja Chipotle sauce. You can also add chicken or steak at no extra charge, with the option to add a scoop of smashed avocado for an additional cost.SubwaySubwayloading...READ MORE: Fast-Growing Chain Restaurants That Will Be Everywhere SoonVia the press release, here was a statement on this new item from Paul Fabre, Subways Senior Vice President of Culinary and Innovation (which, honestly, sounds like a fabulous job):Subways newest partnership takes everything our fans love about Subway sandwiches from quality veggies, proteins and tasty toppings to the next level with the cheesy flavor and iconic crunch of Doritos...whether youre in the mood for a snack, pairing them with your favorite sub or sharing with friends, Subway and Doritosare serving up even more flavor in every satisfying bite.Doritos are no stranger to the fast food world, although theyre typically associated with Taco Bell, where you can find a Doritos Locos Taco or the Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch. How it took this long to make Doritos nachos is a question left to better minds than mine.Subways Doritos Footlong Nachos will be available at Subways nationwide for a limited time. On Thursday, April 10 Subway MVP Rewards members can get a free order of these things with the purchase of a footlong sub. The nachos will otherwise cost five bucks.The Craziest Fast Food Menu Items EverFiled Under: Chain Restaurants, Fast Food, FoodCategories: Longform

Role Overview:We have partnered with a Real Estate Investment Firm and they are seeking a Director of Investments - Real Estate to lead the real estate division's growth. This role will be responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and asset managing private real estate investments.The ideal candidate will blend institutional investment experience with the adaptability to thrive in an entrepreneurial boutique firm setting. Balancing high-level strategic thinking with hands-on execution. Must be comfortable wearing multiple hats, both as a senior leader and an individual contributor, without requiring a big team to be effective. Finds solutions, not excuses!The candidate will be responsible for the expansion of the investment platform. This includes management of firm profitability and investment strategy by utilizing their experience in conjunction with the tools, relationships, and expertise available within the firm.Key Responsibilities:Investment Strategy & Firm Growth:Contribute to the development of the firms long-term investment strategy, portfolio expansion initiatives, and capital allocation.Lead and participate in investment committee discussions and strategic decision-making.Design and implement scalable processes for investment evaluation and asset management as the firm grows.Evaluate and integrate financial technology and data analytics tools to improve operational efficiencies.Ensure legal, compliance and annual tax strategy is executed on-time, coordinating between professionals ongoing and annually.Support in Capital Markets analysis and conversations with family offices, advisors and institutions.Investment Sourcing & Underwriting:Own the investment pipeline, including the identification, evaluation and selection of new acquisition opportunities aligned with the firms investment strategy from existing strategic partners and direct acquisitions channels.Conduct detailed financial modeling, underwriting, and risk assessment for potential investments.Develop sophisticated investment models, including capital stack structuring, sensitivity analyses, and waterfall modeling for intricate equity and debt structures.Perform rigorous due diligence on market conditions, asset performance, and partner/operator capabilities.Craft and present investment memorandums and recommendations for internal review and investor discussions.Asset Management:Oversee asset performance to ensure investments meet or exceed targeted returns at the portfolio level.Advise, implement and refine value-add strategies to optimize asset profitability and operational efficiency.Track KPIs, financial performance, and budget adherence to enhance investment outcomes.Serve as the primary liaison with strategic operating partners, third-party property managers, and financial stakeholders.Ensure clear, high-quality investor reporting that accurately communicates asset performance and future outlooks.Required Qualifications & Experience:10+ years of real estate investment experience with a blend of institutional training and direct boutique firm adaptability.Expertise in private equity real estate underwriting, structuring, and execution.Strong Multifamily background is preferred, however candidates with expertise in other asset classes (office, retail, industrial, private credit) will be considered only if they also possess operational real estate and private equity experience, and demonstrate a rapid learning curve for multifamily.Deep proficiency in financial modeling, risk analysis, and investment thesis development.Demonstrated ability to independently execute deals while maintaining a strategic portfolio perspective.Strong grasp of market dynamics, economic indicators, and investment cycles.Proven ability to manage operator and capital partner relationships to enhance investment performance.Advanced proficiency in Excel, CoStar, Yardi, Juniper Square, and other market research tools.Exceptional priority management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate changing priorities and work demandsExtremely resourceful, highly organized and excellent priority management skillsStrong equity relationships and the ability to contribute to raising capital is a plus.BenefitsCompetitive salary and performance-based bonuses.Potential for increased decision-making authority.Opportunity to shape and grow a high-impact role in a rapidly scaling firm.About The Firm:Founded in 2016, the Firm is a Denver-based alternative asset manager with multifamily real estate,and private credit platforms. The firm has deep experience investing in private markets and creating value for investors via investing capital directly in firm-managed and across the capital structure (joint-venture, private credit, preferred equity). The firm has strong relationships with investors, primarily serving individual investors, advisors and small-family offices. The firm is vertically integrated in the Multifamily sector via strategic partnership, managing all aspects of property and construction management, with a combined JV AUM of over $400M.To-date the firm has raised over $40M of equity and $30M of private credit, invested across over $150M+ of Real Estate located in Colorado and across the Midwest. The firm is positioned for strong growth, under leadership and execution of the Director of Investment.Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

Emma Frost and Ultron are joining the Rivals roster in season 2, and developers are upping the pace to one new hero per month starting with season 3.

April 4, 20254 min readThis AI Speedrunner Taught Itself to Play MinecraftThe Dreamer AI system of Google's DeepMind reached the milestone of mastering Minecraft by imagining the future impact of possible decisionsBy Celeste Biever & Nature magazine Theodore Liasi/Alamy Stock PhotoAn artificial intelligence (AI) system has for the first time figured out how to collect diamonds in the hugely popular video game Minecrafta difficult task requiring multiple stepswithout being shown how to play. Its creators say the system, called Dreamer, is a step towards machines that can generalize knowledge learn in one domain to new situations, a major goal of AI.Dreamer marks a significant step towards general AI systems, says Danijar Hafner, a computer scientist at Google DeepMind in San Francisco, California. It allows AI to understand its physical environment and also to self-improve over time, without a human having to tell it exactly what to do. Hafner and his colleagues describe Dreamer in a study in Nature published on 2 April.In Minecraft, players explore a virtual 3D world containing a variety of terrains, including forests, mountains, deserts and swamps. Players use the worlds resources to create objects, such as chests, fences and swordsand collect items, among the most prized of which are diamonds.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Importantly, says Hafner, no two experiences are the same. Every time you play Minecraft, its a new, randomly generated world, he says. This makes it useful for challenging an AI system that researchers want to be able to generalize from one situation to the next. You have to really understand whats in front of you; you cant just memorize a specific strategy, he says.Collecting a diamond is a very hard task, says computer scientist Jeff Clune at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, who was part of a separate team that trained a program to find diamonds using videos of human play. There is no question this represents a major step forward for the field.Diamonds are foreverAI researchers have focused on finding diamonds, says Hafner, because it requires a series of complicated steps, including finding trees and breaking them down to gather wood, which players can use to build a crafting table.This, together with more wood, can be used to make a wooden pickaxeand so on, until players have assembled the correct tools to collect a diamond, which is buried deep underground. Theres a long chain of these milestones, and so, it requires very deep exploration, he says.Previous attempts to get AI systems to collect diamonds relied on using videos of human play or researchers leading systems through the steps.By contrast, Dreamer explores everything about the game on its own, using a trial-and-error technique called reinforcement learningit identifies actions that are likely to beget rewards, repeats them and discards others. Reinforcement learning underpins some major advances in AI. But previous programs were specialiststhey could not apply knowledge in new domains from scratch.Build me a world modelKey to Dreamers success, says Hafner, is that it builds a model of its surroundings and uses this world model to imagine future scenarios and guide decision-making. Rather like our own abstract thoughts, the world model is not an exact replica of its surroundings. But it allows the Dreamer agent to try things out and predict the potential rewards of different actions using less computation than would be needed to complete those actions in Minecraft. The world model really equips the AI system with the ability to imagine the future, says Hafner.This ability could also help to create robots that can learn to interact in the real worldwhere the costs of trial and error are much higher than in a video game, says Hafner.Testing Dreamer on the diamond challenge was an afterthought. We built this whole algorithm without that in mind, says Hafner. But it occurred to the team that it was the ideal way to test whether its algorithm could work, out of the box, on an unfamiliar task.In Minecraft, the team used a protocol that gave Dreamer a plus one reward every time it completed one of 12 progressive steps involved in diamond collectionincluding creating planks and a furnace, mining iron and forging an iron pickaxe.These intermediate rewards prompted Dreamer to select actions that were more likely to lead to a diamond. The team reset the game every 30 minutes so that Dreamer did not become accustomed to one particular configurationbut rather learnt general rules for gaining rewards.Under this set-up, it takes around nine days of continuous play for Dreamer to find at least one diamond, says Hafner. Expert human players will take 2030 minutes to find a diamond, whereas novices take longer.This paper is about training a single algorithm to perform well across diverse reinforcement-learning tasks, says computer scientist Keyon Vafa at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. This is a notoriously hard problem and the results are fantastic.An even bigger target for AI, says Clune, is the ultimate challenge for Minecraft players: killing the Ender Dragon, the virtual worlds most fearsome creature.This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on April 2, 2025.

Here's a closer look at Kirby and the Forgotten Land's remixed and expanded Switch 2 worldsArriving in new Star-Crossed World edition.Image credit: Nintendo News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 4, 2025 What better way to start winding down from a busy week of Switch 2 news than with a look at the ever-adorable Kirby and the Forgotten Land, now strikingly remixed as part of an expanded edition coming to Nintendo's new console later this year? 'Go outside!' you might suggest, or 'Lie on my face and hum!', but for the purposes of this story it's Kirby, and we now have a clearer idea of what's coming in his previously announced Switch 2 enhanced edition.Nintendo's calling its Switch 2 spruce-up Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (let's be thankful we aren't getting tariffs on letters too), and it includes everything seen in the original Switch release - which we gave four stars to back in 2022 - alongside a bunch of new stuff. On the technical front, Kirby also gets a bump from 30fps to 60fps, and it'll be play at 1080p in handheld mode and 1440p docked.The real draw, though, is the new content, which takes the form of a remixed campaign known as Star-Crossed World. As revealed during Nintendo's Treehouse livestream, this begins with a choice of difficulty - Wild Mode or Spring-Breeze Mode - with an on-screen message warning it's "a bit wilder and more challenging" than the base game. On the plus side, it rewards more coins. And, it's worth noting the new content is fully playable in co-op - one player taking on the role of Kirby, the other Bandana Waddle Dee - just like in the original version.Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Switch 2 additions (starts around 1:47:00)Watch on YouTubeStar-Crossed World essentially play out across the base game's map, albeit with each level apparently heavily remixed to suit the expansion's 'mysterious crystal comet comes crashing down causing havoc' theme. Once again, for instance, Kirby's adventure begins on the shore of a sandy cove, but now it's littered with star-like crystals - and some these, crystal flowers, cause previously unseen pathways to form when struck.Before long, Treehouse's demonstration reaches the overgrown city seen in the base game. Only this time - after a massive meteor crashes into a towering skyscraper - the streets are corrupted with shimmering blue hues and crystal protrusions. Some of them have even infected familiar enemies, giving them dainty little crystal mohawks and tougher attacks. And it doesn't take long for the new content to diverge from the original stage's route; rather than leading Kirby through the now-blocked streets, he follows a path of winding platforms up the exterior of a skyscraper, until the city - and the base game's familiar path - stretches out far below.It's a similar story for the remixed version of the dilapidated fairground level shown next, which soon takes players away from ground level onto a vast crystal rollercoaster track winding high above the park. At one point, we see the return of the Mouthful Pipe power-up, as Kirby hurtles with increasing speed along the coaster's dips and rises, but the Treehouse crew stressed new power-ups also come into play. There's an adorable Mouthful Spring power-up transformation, for instance, letting Kirby bounce much higher than usual and slam heavily down.Star-Crossed World also features new mini-bosses alongside tweaked variants of familiar foes, and it all points to an expansion that looks to diverge in some surprising ways despite it utilising existing levels. It's not entirely clear whether every base game stage has been remixed for the new campaign or if it's just a small selection, but Treehouse notes it'll be possible to access both variants on the overworld map once unlocked to make it easier to switch between modes.Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World comes to the new console on 28th August, and it'll also be available as a paid upgrade for anyone that owns the Switch original - although prices have yet to be confirmed. It's just one of several games getting the enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition treatment, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom also confirmed, alongside Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Pokmon Legends: Z-A. Free (albeit less substantial) Switch 2 updates are also promised for some other Switch 1 games.So that's that. And if you've yet to catch up with the deluge of Switch 2 news announced this week, why not put the kettle on, grab yourself a custard cream, and settle down to read everything we've learned about Switch 2 so far? And if you're hungry for more after that, Eurogamer's Switch 2 hands-on impressions are over here.

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 hereThere are new free games to claim and get for Steam Deck including very positive verified freebies, plus Mafia 3. And,for the future, SEGA has confirmed that a new upcoming Sonic game is verified for Valves handheld system, too. While this is all good, Steam Deck users can also now play the incredible Infinity Blade 2 thanks to a PC port.Steam Deck users can now play Infinity Blade 2The first Infinity Blade is playable on Steam Deck thanks to a PC port, and you can check out SteamDeckHQ for more details about said game. While the first game is brilliant, its equally epic sequel has now received a PC port, too.For those not in the know, Infinity Blade 2 is a remarkable action RPG from Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment. The series is brilliant, but the downside is that they were for iOS devices only and were removed from the App store by Epic.But, thanks to a PC port, fans can now play on Steam Deck rather than Apple devices. Per InfinityBladeStudios on Reddit, the PC port works on Valves handheld system, and it includes the following features:The original Infinity Blade II experienceKeybinds for abilities such as dodging, blocking, stabbing, and moreStandalone launcher to tweak graphical settings and controlsScroll menus naturally by dragging the mouse, or by scrolling the mouse wheel.Improved graphical fidelity over iOSToggleable dynamic shadows and godraysAudio sliders to control music and SFX separatelyEasy save transfer between iOS and PCFor instructions on how to download and install the PC port, check out the official video guide from InfinityBladeStudios below:Remember that this PC port is not official from either Epic Games or CHAIR Entertainment.In other SD news, players still have time to get freebies before they expire including BioShock 2 Remastered.Related TopicsSteam Deck Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Pay to PlayroomIt should be free, but Switch 2s genius Welcome Tour is nevertheless going to be a must-have gameComplain as I might I know Im probably going to buy this. D'oh. And you probably should too. Thats capitalism, baby!Image credit: VG247 Article by Alex Donaldson Assistant Editor Published on April 4, 2025 Over the last 48 hours, a hell of a lot has been made of the price of the Nintendo Switch 2. The system is pretty expensive, but in a way that I feel was largely expected. The games are more so, in a way that is getting a lot of peoples backs up. But for my money, the most eyebrow-raising price admission made by Nintendo during the Switch 2s reveal was that the company plans to charge for the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a special game designed to introduce players to the system.After playing the Welcome Tour, I can see why Nintendo felt like it could get away with charging a small amount for the game. It seems like an excellent experience, the sort of thing that demonstrates Nintendo at its most zany, experimental best.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The Switch 2 Welcome Tour casts you as a little tiny person who wanders around the landscape of the Nintendo Switch 2. Thats the whole machine - the Joy Cons, the Screens, even some of the accessories. Or maybe youre a normal sized person exploring a city-sized Switch 2. I dont know. Either way, exploring reveals NPCs to talk to, and its sort of like a theme park. Idle chatter with NPCs reveals factoids about the construction and functionality of the machine, while the rides are these little booths, each of which is home to some sort of mini-game.Each of these games serves to demonstrate some sort of functionality of the Switch 2, be that more active new features like the mouse pointer, or passive stuff that an average member of the public might not fully appreciate, like the full capabilities of the consoles display, or the enhanced clarity and strength of HD rumble.These games are lovely. Theyre cheeky, and genius. I expect some eager tech experts to be exposed by the mini game that aims to showcase the importance of frame rate, which shows you an animation before asking you to identify what frame rate its running at from two options. As the mini game gets more difficult, the gap between the two options youre given narrows.Each time you answer, you see two identical animations split-screen, playing out at different frame speeds - showing the average joe exactly what the difference between 30fps and 60fps, for example, is. Its a fantastic, very Nintendo solution to explaining to a clueless user why the machine being so expensive is necessary - that mini-game aims to scream, 120fps is worth it, you see!. Part-game, part-app, all brilliant. | Image credit: VG247A similar game exists for 4K displays. This takes Super Mario World 1-1, and displays it on-screen without any scaling. That means it takes up a tiny fraction of the screen. But rather than scrolling, the stage expands across the screen, left-to-right, as you play. This is likewise one of the best demonstrations of what higher resolutions actually mean - all of 1-1 fits comfortably into 4K resolution. As well as just beating the stage, various small objectives are available. Completing those gives additional medals which I assume can be spent to unlock new games and areas.HD Rumble is demoed with a cute find the sweet spot mini-game; mouse control gets a showcase with some Mario Paint-esque experiences, and so on. Each demo is reached by exploring this lavish 3D model of the Switch 2, where you can walk up to key components and hit a button to learn more about it. Finally, there are quiz booths where you can answer questions, where demonstrating youve understood the demos garners rewards.Its all lovely. Its all simple, obviously. These are single-player affairs, and youre not going to pump tens of hours into this - but its a delightful distraction and does a fabulous job of introducing people to the machine. I played demos of top ports and hotly-anticipated new games at the Switch 2 reveal - but the Welcome Tour was my most pleasant surprise. Though Im baffled that it costs money. There are a variety of experiences on offer. | Image credit: VG247It is cheap, to be fair. With the Japanese store listing the Welcome Tour at just 990 yen, that means this digital-only title should be around a fiver in the UK (and probably not much more than five dollars in the US), depending on what the yo-yoing markets do. At the same time, though - crikey. Here is a Nintendo that has built a perfect, quirky, charming introduction to the features of its machine. Here is also a Nintendo that is charging more for that hardware than it has ever done before, broadly speaking. Like, surely forgo the fiver a head, and just give it to people for 'free' with their 400-quid console. Soften the blow. Do people a solid.Its hard to look at this game and not offer a sidelong glance to Astros Playroom, a very similar launch title that was wisely packed in with its accompanying hardware. Mario Kart being $80 bucks might have been the lightning rod that has made some think that were seeing a newly emboldened, cocky, greedy Nintendo - but honestly, I think full-on game price increases have been coming for a while, what with everything going on economically.This, though? Charging for this feels a tad cynical - even if its brilliant. Even if its a must-have. Complain as I might I know Im probably going to buy this. D'oh. And you probably should too. Thats capitalism, baby!