After World War II, as early supersonic military aircraft were pushing the boundaries of flight, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that commercial aircraft would eventually fly faster than sound …read more

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Outdated coding practices and memory-unsafe languages like C are putting software, including cryptographic libraries, at risk. Fortunately, memory-safe languages like Rust, along with formal verification tools, are now mature enough to be used at scale, helping prevent issues like crashes, data corruption, flawed implementation, and side-channel attacks. To address these vulnerabilities and improve memory safety, we’re rewriting SymCrypt (opens in new tab)—Microsoft’s open-source cryptographic library—in Rust. We’re also incorporating formal verification methods. SymCrypt is used in Windows, Azure Linux, Xbox, and other platforms. Currently, SymCrypt is primarily written in cross-platform C, with limited use of hardware-specific optimizations through intrinsics (compiler-provided low-level functions) and assembly language (direct processor instructions). It provides a wide range of algorithms, including AES-GCM, SHA, ECDSA, and the more recent post-quantum algorithms ML-KEM and ML-DSA.  Formal verification will confirm that implementations behave as intended and don’t deviate from algorithm specifications, critical for preventing attacks. We’ll also analyze compiled code to detect side-channel leaks caused by timing or hardware-level behavior. Proving Rust program properties with Aeneas Program verification is the process of proving that a piece of code will always satisfy a given property, no matter the input. Rust’s type system profoundly improves the prospects for program verification by providing strong ownership guarantees, by construction, using a discipline known as “aliasing xor mutability”. For example, reasoning about C code often requires proving that two non-const pointers are live and non-overlapping, a property that can depend on external client code. In contrast, Rust’s type system guarantees this property for any two mutably borrowed references. As a result, new tools have emerged specifically for verifying Rust code. We chose Aeneas (opens in new tab) because it helps provide a clean separation between code and proofs. Developed by Microsoft Azure Research in partnership with Inria, the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology, Aeneas connects to proof assistants like Lean (opens in new tab), allowing us to draw on a large body of mathematical proofs—especially valuable given the mathematical nature of cryptographic algorithms—and benefit from Lean’s active user community. Compiling Rust to C supports backward compatibility   We recognize that switching to Rust isn’t feasible for all use cases, so we’ll continue to support, extend, and certify C-based APIs as long as users need them. Users won’t see any changes, as Rust runs underneath the existing C APIs. Some users compile our C code directly and may rely on specific toolchains or compiler features that complicate the adoption of Rust code. To address this, we will use Eurydice (opens in new tab), a Rust-to-C compiler developed by Microsoft Azure Research, to replace handwritten C code with C generated from formally verified Rust. Eurydice (opens in new tab) compiles directly from Rust’s MIR intermediate language, and the resulting C code will be checked into the SymCrypt repository alongside the original Rust source code. As more users adopt Rust, we’ll continue supporting this compilation path for those who build SymCrypt from source code but aren’t ready to use the Rust compiler. In the long term, we hope to transition users to either use precompiled SymCrypt binaries (via C or Rust APIs), or compile from source code in Rust, at which point the Rust-to-C compilation path will no longer be needed. Microsoft research podcast Ideas: AI and democracy with Madeleine Daepp and Robert Osazuwa Ness As the “biggest election year in history” comes to an end, researchers Madeleine Daepp and Robert Osazuwa Ness and Democracy Forward GM Ginny Badanes discuss AI’s impact on democracy, including the tech’s use in Taiwan and India. Listen now Opens in a new tab Timing analysis with Revizor  Even software that has been verified for functional correctness can remain vulnerable to low-level security threats, such as side channels caused by timing leaks or speculative execution. These threats operate at the hardware level and can leak private information, such as memory load addresses, branch targets, or division operands, even when the source code is provably correct.  To address this, we’re extending Revizor (opens in new tab), a tool developed by Microsoft Azure Research, to more effectively analyze SymCrypt binaries. Revizor models microarchitectural leakage and uses fuzzing techniques to systematically uncover instructions that may expose private information through known hardware-level effects.   Earlier cryptographic libraries relied on constant-time programming to avoid operations on secret data. However, recent research has shown that this alone is insufficient with today’s CPUs, where every new optimization may open a new side channel.  By analyzing binary code for specific compilers and platforms, our extended Revizor tool enables deeper scrutiny of vulnerabilities that aren’t visible in the source code. Verified Rust implementations begin with ML-KEM This long-term effort is in alignment with the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative and brings together experts across Microsoft, building on decades of Microsoft Research investment in program verification and security tooling. A preliminary version of ML-KEM in Rust is now available on the preview feature/verifiedcrypto (opens in new tab) branch of the SymCrypt repository. We encourage users to try the Rust build and share feedback (opens in new tab). Looking ahead, we plan to support direct use of the same cryptographic library in Rust without requiring C bindings.  Over the coming months, we plan to rewrite, verify, and ship several algorithms in Rust as part of SymCrypt. As our investment in Rust deepens, we expect to gain new insights into how to best leverage the language for high-assurance cryptographic implementations with low-level optimizations.  As performance is key to scalability and sustainability, we’re holding new implementations to a high bar using our benchmarking tools to match or exceed existing systems. Looking forward  This is a pivotal moment for high-assurance software. Microsoft’s investment in Rust and formal verification presents a rare opportunity to advance one of our key libraries. We’re excited to scale this work and ultimately deliver an industrial-grade, Rust-based, FIPS-certified cryptographic library. Opens in a new tab

Ivy Grant, SVP of Strategy & Operations, Twilio June 13, 20255 Min Readpeshkova via alamy stockAsk technologists and enterprise leaders what they hope AI will deliver, and most will land on some iteration of the "T" word: transformation. No surprise, AI and its “cooler than you” cousin, generative AI (GenAI), have been hyped nonstop for the past 24 months. But therein lies the problem. Many organizations are rushing to implement AI without a grasp on the return on investment (ROI), leading to high spend and low impact. Without anchoring AI to clear friction points and acceleration opportunities, companies invite fatigue, anxiety and competitive risk. Two-thirds of C-suite execs say GenAI has created tension and division within their organizations; nearly half say it’s “tearing their company apart.” Most (71%) report adoption challenges; more than a third call it a massive disappointment. While AI's potential is irrefutable, companies need to reject the narrative of AI as a standalone strategy or transformational savior. Its true power is as a catalyst to amplify what already works and surface what could. Here are three principles to make that happen. 1. Start with friction, not function Many enterprises struggle with where to start when integrating AI. My advice: Start where the pain is greatest. Identify the processes that create the most friction and work backward from there. AI is a tool, not a solution. By mapping real pain points to AI use cases, you can hone investments to the ripest fruit rather than simply where it hangs at the lowest. Related:For example, one of our top sources of customer pain was troubleshooting undeliverable messages, which forced users to sift through error code documentation. To solve this, an AI assistant was introduced to detect anomalies, explain causes in natural language, and guide customers toward resolution. We achieved a 97% real-time resolution rate through a blend of conversational AI and live support. Most companies have long-standing friction points that support teams routinely explain. Or that you’ve developed organizational calluses over; problems considered “just the cost of doing business.” GenAI allows leaders to revisit these areas and reimagine what’s possible. 2. The need for (dual) speed We hear stories of leaders pushing an “all or nothing” version of AI transformation: Use AI to cut functional headcount or die. Rather than leading with a “stick” through wholesale transformation mandates or threats to budgets, we must recognize AI implementation as a fundamental culture change. Just as you wouldn't expect to transform your company culture overnight by edict, it's unreasonable to expect something different from your AI transformation. Related:Some leaders have a tendency to move faster than the innovation ability or comfort level of their people. Most functional leads aren’t obstinate in their slow adoption of AI tools, their long-held beliefs to run a process or to assess risks. We hired these leaders for their decades of experience in “what good looks like” and deep expertise in incremental improvements; then we expect them to suddenly define a futuristic vision that challenges their own beliefs. As executive leaders, we must give grace, space and plenty of “carrots” -- incentives, training, and support resources -- to help them reimagine complex workflows with AI. And, we must recognize that AI has the ability to make progress in ways that may not immediately create cost efficiencies, such as for operational improvements that require data cleansing, deep analytics, forecasting, dynamic pricing, and signal sensing. These aren’t the sexy parts of AI, but they’re the types of issues that require superhuman intelligence and complex problem-solving that AI was made for. 3. A flywheel of acceleration The other transformation that AI should support is creating faster and broader “test and learn” cycles. AI implementation is not a linear process with start here and end there. Organizations that want to leverage AI as a competitive advantage should establish use cases where AI can break down company silos and act as a catalyst to identify the next opportunity. That identifies the next as a flywheel of acceleration. This flywheel builds on accumulated learnings, making small successes into larger wins while avoiding costly AI disasters from rushed implementation. Related:For example, at Twilio we are building a customer intelligence platform that analyzes thousands of conversations to identify patterns and drive insights. If we see multiple customers mention a competitor's pricing, it could signal a take-out campaign. What once took weeks to recognize and escalate can now be done in near real-time and used for highly coordinated activations across marketing, product, sales, and other teams. With every AI acceleration win, we uncover more places to improve hand-offs, activation speed, and business decision-making. That flywheel of innovation is how true AI transformation begins to drive impactful business outcomes. Ideas to Fuel Your AI Strategy Organizations can accelerate their AI implementations through these simple shifts in approach: Revisit your long-standing friction points, both customer-facing and internal, across your organization -- particularly explore the ones you thought were “the cost of doing business” Don’t just look for where AI can reduce manual processes, but find the highly complex problems and start experimenting Support your functional experts with AI-driven training, resources, tools, and incentives to help them challenge their long-held beliefs about what works for the future Treat AI implementation as a cultural change that requires time, experimentation, learning, and carrots (not just sticks) Recognize that transformation starts with a flywheel of acceleration, where each new experiment can lead to the next big discovery The most impactful AI implementations don’t rush transformation; they strategically accelerate core capabilities and unlock new ones to drive measurable change. About the AuthorIvy GrantSVP of Strategy & Operations, Twilio Ivy Grant is Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations at Twilio where she leads strategic planning, enterprise analytics, M&A Integration and is responsible for driving transformational initiatives that enable Twilio to continuously improve its operations. Prior to Twilio, Ivy’s career has balanced senior roles in strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company, Edelman and PwC with customer-centric operational roles at Walmart, Polo Ralph Lauren and tech startup Eversight Labs. She loves solo international travel, hugging exotic animals and boxing. Ivy has an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BS in Applied Economics from Cornell University. See more from Ivy GrantReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

We may earn a commission from links on this page.After spending about a week with the Nintendo Switch 2, I have to admit that it’s a good console. It’s priced fairly for its sleek form factor and the performance it offers, and it sets Nintendo up to stay relevant while gaming graphics only continue to get more complex. And yet, for my own personal tastes, it’s still not my handheld of choice. Instead, I’ll be sticking to Valve’s Steam Deck, the first and still overall best handheld gaming PC, at least going by value for money. And if you don’t necessarily care about Nintendo’s exclusive games, there’s a good chance it might be the better option for you, too.The Steam Deck is cheaper than the Switch 2Out of the gate, the most obvious reason to get a Steam Deck over a Nintendo Switch 2 is price. Starting at $400 for a new model, it’s only modestly cheaper than the Switch 2’s $450, but that’s only part of the story. Valve also runs a certified refurbished program that offers used Decks with only cosmetic blemishes for as low as $279. Restocks are infrequent, since Valve is only able to sell as much as gets sent back to it, but when they do happen, it's a heck of a great deal.That said, there is one catch. The Steam Deck OLED, which offers a bigger, more colorful screen and a larger battery, is more expensive than the Switch 2, starting at $549. However, it’s maybe a bit unfair to compare the two, since the Switch 2 does not use an OLED screen and comes with less storage. If all you care about is the basics (I’m perfectly happy with my LCD model), the base Steam Deck is good enough—it’s got the same performance as the more recent one. And that performance, by the way, ended up being about on par with the Switch 2 in my testing, at least in Cyberpunk 2077 (one of my go-to benchmark games).The Steam Deck is more comfortable to hold than the Switch 2This one is a bit of a toss-up, depending on your preferences, although I think the Steam Deck takes a slight lead here. While the Nintendo Switch 2 aims for a completely flat and somewhat compact profile, the Steam Deck instead allows itself to stretch out, and even though it’s a little bigger and a little heavier for it, I ultimately think that makes it more comfortable.At 11.73 x 4.60 x 1.93 inches against the Switch 2’s 10.7 x 4.5 x 0.55 inches, and at 1.41 pounds against the Switch 2’s 1.18 pounds, I won’t deny that this will be a non-starter for some. But personally, I still feel like the Steam Deck comes out on top, and that’s thanks to its ergonomics.I’ve never been a big fan of Nintendo’s joy-con controllers, and while the Switch 2’s joy-con 2 controllers improve on the Switch 1’s with bigger buttons and sticks, as well as more room to hold onto them, they still pale in comparison next to the Steam Deck’s controls. Steam Deck in profile (above) vs. Switch 2 in profile (below) Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt On the Switch 2, there are no grips to wrap your fingers around. On the Steam Deck, there are. The triggers also flare out more, and because the console is wider, your hands can stretch out a bit, rather than choking up on the device. It can get a bit heavy to hold a Steam Deck after a while, but I still prefer this approach overall, and if you have a surface to rest the Steam Deck against (like an airplane tray table), weight is a non-issue.Plus, there are some extra bonuses that come with the additional space. The Steam Deck has large touchpads on either side of the device, plus four grip buttons on the back of it, giving you some extra inputs to play around with. Nice.It’s a bit less portable and a bit heavier, but for my adult hands, the Steam Deck is just better shaped to them.The Steam Deck has a bigger, cheaper library than the Switch 2This is the kicker. While there are cheap games that can run on the Switch 2 courtesy of backwards compatibility and third-party eShop titles, the big system draws (Nintendo-developed titles like Mario Kart World, for example) can get as pricey as $80. Not to say the Steam Deck doesn’t have expensive games as well, but on the whole, I think it’s easier to get cheap and free games on the Steam Deck than on the eShop.That’s because, being a handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck can take advantage of the many sales and freebies PC gaming stores love to give out. These happen a bit more frequently on PC than on console, and that’s because there’s more competition on PC. Someone on PC could download games either from Steam or Epic, for instance, while someone on the Switch 2 can only download games from the Nintendo eShop.So, even sticking to just Steam, you’ll get access to regular weekend and mid-week sales, quarterly event sales, and developer or publisher highlight sales. That’s more sales events than you’ll usually find on the Nintendo eShop, and if you’re looking for cheaper first-party games, forget about it. Nintendo’s own games hardly ever go on sale, even years after release.But that’s just the beginning. Despite being named the Steam Deck, the device can actually run games from other stores, too. That’s thanks to an easily installed Linux program called Heroic Launcher, which is free and lets you download and play games from your Epic, GOG, and Amazon Prime Games accounts with just a few clicks. Credit: Heroic Games Launcher This is a game changer. Epic and Amazon Prime are both underdogs in the PC gaming space, and so to bolster their numbers, they both regularly give away free games. Epic in particular offers one free PC game every week, whereas if you’re a Twitch user, you might notice a decent but more infrequent amount of notifications allowing you to claim free Amazon Prime games. Some of these are big titles, too—it’s how I got Batman: Arkham Knight and Star Wars Battlefront II. With a simple install and a few months of waiting, you could have a Steam Deck filled to the brim with games that you didn’t even pay for. You just can’t do that on Nintendo.And then there’s the elephant in the room: your backlog. If you’re anything like me, you probably already have a Steam library that’s hundreds of games large. It was maybe even like this before the Switch 1 came out—regular sales have a tendency to build up the amount of games you own. By choosing the Steam Deck as your handheld, you’ll be able to play those games on the go, instantly giving you what might as well be a full library with no added cost to you. If you migrate over to the Nintendo Switch 2, you’re going to have to start with a fresh library, or at least a library that’s only as old as the Nintendo Switch 1.Basically, while the Switch 2’s hardware is only $50 more expensive than the Steam Deck, it’ll be easier to fill your Steam Deck up with high quality, inexpensive games than it would be on the Switch 2. If you don’t care about having access to Nintendo exclusive games, that’s a huge draw.TV Play is a mixed bagFinally, I want to acknowledge that the Steam Deck still isn’t necessarily a better option than the Switch 2 for everyone. That’s why I’m writing from a personal perspective here. Like all gaming PCs, it’ll take some fiddling to get some games to run, so the Switch 2 is definitely a smoother experience out of the box. It’s also got less battery life, from my testing. But the big point of departure is TV play.Playing your portable games on a TV on the Switch 2 is as simple as plugging it into its dock. With the Steam Deck, you have to buy a dock separately (the official one is $79), and even then, you have to connect your own controller to it and manually find suitable TV graphics settings for each game on its own. It’s not nearly as easy or flexible.And yet, for folks like me, I’m willing to say that even TV play is better. Or, depending on what type of PC gamer you are, monitor play.That’s because you’re not limited to playing your Steam Deck games on the Deck itself, dock or not. Instead, you can play on the Deck when you’re away from your home, and then swap over to your regular gaming PC when you’re back. Your Deck will upload your saves to the cloud automatically, and your PC will seamlessly download them. While not as intuitive as plugging your Switch 2 into its dock, the benefit here is that your non-portable play isn’t limited by the power of your portable device, whereas docked Switch 2 play is still held back by running on portable hardware.The tradeoff is that maintaining a dedicated gaming PC in addition to a Steam Deck is more expensive, but maybe more importantly, requires more tinkering (there are ways to build a cheap gaming PC, after all). And I think that’s the key point here. If you want a simple-to-use, pick-up-and-play handheld, the Switch 2 is a great choice for you. But if you’re like me, and you’re not afraid to download some launchers and occasionally dive into compatibility settings or swap between two devices, the Steam Deck might still be the best handheld gaming device for you, even three years later.

Most of what you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 is right there in the name: this is the direct sequel to the Switch. It’s bigger, more powerful, more refined, and builds on a strong foundation. If you liked the first Switch, you’re almost certainly going to like the Switch 2. But whether it’s worth upgrading immediately is going to depend a lot on your current gaming library and how much you’re willing to spend for a small library of first party titles.  The Hardware From an ergonomic perspective, the Switch 2 is a definite upgrade over the original with a nicer looking, rounded off cradle, a bigger screen, and new magnetically attached Joy-cons that are a breeze to connect and remove. Also a really underrated new feature is the more flexible kickstand, which lets you play the Switch 2 from multiple angles if you’re into that sort of thing. While it didn’t really get much coverage in previews, I was also pleasantly surprised by a sturdier cover for game cards that will better lock them into place. That’s not hugely important, but it does show how much thought Nintendo put into the system to address almost every criticism of the original Switch, which was a pretty great portable to begin with. Furthermore, the sound quality of the Switch 2 in portable mode is surprisingly better than the old model. Oddly enough though, as good as the sound is, the HDR implementation is surprisingly underwhelming in this initial batch of games. That’s really not a huge deal, but it’s odd that Nintendo even pushed it at all given how barely noticeable it is right now. Maybe future games (or a future Switch 2 refresh) will improve on it. My only real gripe about the Switch 2 is that it’s maybe too big. I’m a six-foot and two inches, 270 pound professional wrestler in my spare time, and this thing is almost too big for my hands. It starts to feel a little heavy after an hour of playtime. At least the battery life is rock solid, however, which has always been a strong point of Nintendo portables, though the console does run noticeably warmer than its predecessor.  Set Up and the Switch 2 Experience Getting started with the Switch 2 is simple, although not without a bit of the typical Nintendo weirdness. By logging into my Wi-Fi and My Nintendo account, I transferred everything from my original Switch to the Switch 2 in a little over 10 minutes. All I had to do was plug in both consoles and move them within a few feet of each other. The one downside of this is that the Switch 2 then immediately decided to start downloading a few dozen of the most recent games I’ve played. That’s good in theory, but since the Switch 2 only comes with 256GB of internal storage, I didn’t want all those old games on my new console. If there’s an easier way than going through the game library and canceling all of those individual downloads, I couldn’t find it. Still, this made clear just how much space is going to be an issue with the new console. After downloading updates and just a handful of my older titles, I was down to only 175GB of space. When some launch titles are already clocking in at 60 gigs, it’s clear that a MicroSD Express card is going to be a necessity for a lot of gamers. Given the price of those, I do wish the Switch 2 had a port for older SD cards that could play original Switch games, or allowed for a hard drive in docked mode. Maybe that’s something we’ll see in an update down the line. Anyway, once I had downloaded what I wanted and canceled everything else, it was time to dive into the Switch 2 dashboard… which actually looks a lot like the original Switch’s. All of the icons are rounder, just like the cradle and system itself. The eShop doesn’t slow down anymore, and everything else is pretty much where it was on the first Switch. If you ever upgraded from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X, it’s a similar type of negligible change.   What’s New with the Switch 2 Unlike some past Nintendo consoles like the Wii, the Switch 2 doesn’t have any major new gimmicks, but there are a couple of interesting new features. The upgraded Joy-Cons can now be used like computer mice. There’s also GameChat, a new way to communicate with other players during gameplay through video and audio. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Honestly, I didn’t spend a lot of time with either of these features. They work as advertised, they’re just not exactly revolutionary, especially given that Microsoft and Sony have allowed this type of communication while gaming for years. There’s definitely promise to these ideas down the line, but they’re not exactly day one system sellers. It’s probably 50-50 whether we see games that take advantage of these features, or if developers just ignore them entirely. Switch 2 Games, Old and New The Switch 2 is launching with an impressive collection of more than two dozen games. Many like Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hitman are ports of games that have been available elsewhere for awhile now. I picked up Mario Kart World, Bravely Default HD, and Cyberpunk 2077. I’ll have fuller thoughts on Mario Kart World in a few days, but for now I’ll say it’s a very fun game that doesn’t necessarily do a whole lot to show off its console’s power. The other two games are excellent ports of older titles, with Cyberpunk 2077 in particular offering some enjoyable new control options thanks to the upgraded Joy-Cons. What’s especially impressive at launch are the upgrades to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Available for $10 each, or as part of an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. These almost look like brand new games with higher resolution and frame rates that now put them on par with a lot of the best looking games on Xbox or PlayStation.  Even in handheld mode, the Zelda titles look noticeably better than on the original Switch. The free upgrades I checked out in New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury don’t go quite that far in terms of improvements, but the games definitely do perform better. It was actually kind of rough going back to Switch games like Splatoon 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles X that don’t have enhancements of any kind, and still having to deal with their little graphical hiccups on the Switch 2. But I didn’t notice any issues with backwards compatibility. Original Switch games seem to play flawlessly on the new console. Another reason to check out the Switch 2 is GameCube games for Expansion Pack members. I played a few minutes each of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur II and I’m pleased to report that they all performed admirably. Whatever emulator Nintendo is using doesn’t make these games look like full-on remasters, but they do look very sharp on a 4K TV, and I’m excited to see what other classic titles get added in the future. Is the Switch 2 Worth Buying? Whether you should pick up a Switch 2 right now (if you can even find one) really depends. If you always wanted a Switch but for some reason never got one, a Switch 2 is an absolute no brainer. It’s going to be the best way to experience some Switch classics like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. If you haven’t had any other way to play great games like Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, or Hogwarts Legacy, then yes, the Switch 2 is an excellent purchase, and it’s cheaper than either a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.But if you’ve played your original Switch to death and have any other current gen console, a solid gaming PC, or a Steam Deck, the Switch 2 is a dicier proposition. Some great looking games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment are on the horizon, and I have no doubt the Switch 2 will be worth the purchase over time, but $450 and up is a lot to ask for what the console offers at the moment.

So, you’ve braved the pre-order sites, or maybe you’ve just gotten lucky while waiting in line—either way, you’ve got yourself a Nintendo Switch 2. Congratulations! But before you start gaming, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind while setting up your console. Nintendo is known for being user friendly, but also a bit particular. Case in point: You can only do a full transfer of your Switch 1 data to your Switch 2 during setup, and if you miss this opportunity, you’ll have to reset your device to try again, or manually copy over your games and save data piece-by-piece later on.Luckily, I’ve got your back. Read on for a quick guide on how to set up your Nintendo Switch 2, and the three other features you should set up before you start playing.How to start setting up a Nintendo Switch 2For the most part, setting up a new Switch 2 out of the box is straightforward, but you’ll still want to pay close attention to each step before moving on, especially when it comes to transferring console data.First, remove your Switch 2 and your joy-con controllers from their packaging. Then, plug your joy-cons into their respective slots (they’ll attach magnetically, so it’s much simpler than on the first Switch). If you don’t know which joy-con goes where, the one with red highlights goes to the right of the screen, and the one with blue highlights goes to the left.Next, plug your Switch into power using the included charging brick and cable, and power it on. On the screens that follow, select your language and region, then read and accept the end-user license agreement. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt You’ll see a screen to connect to the internet and download the console’s day-one system update. This technically isn’t mandatory, and skipping it (with the X button on the right joy-con) will instead take you to time zone settings. However, most features will be locked down, including backward compatibility, until you download it, so I recommend doing it during setup if possible. If you do skip this step, you can access the update later under Settings > System > System Update.Once you’re connected to the internet and you’ve started downloading the update, you’ll be able to continue setup while it downloads. Now, you’ll pick your time zone and click through a couple of tutorial pages. These will instruct you about portable and TV play, tell you how to use the kickstand and extra USB-C port, and walk you through detaching your joy-con from the console (press in the button on the back of the joy-con, underneath the trigger, and pull). You can also click through an optional tutorial on connecting your Switch 2 to a TV, if you like, after which you’ll get quick guides on using the included joy-con grip accessory and the joy-con wrist straps.If your console hasn’t finished updating, it’ll finish that now, and then take you to your first big decision: do you want to transfer your Switch 1 data to your Switch 2?Transferring Switch 1 data to the Switch 2During Switch 2 setup, Nintendo will allow you to transfer your Switch 1 data to your Switch 2, but there are a few caveats.You’ll know you’re ready for this once your system update is downloaded and you’re on a screen that says “To Nintendo Switch Console Owners,” above a graphic of someone holding a Switch 1 and Switch 2. Next to the graphic, you’ll see two buttons: Begin System Transfer, Don’t Transfer Data, plus a third button below that explains the process to you, but leaves out a few key details.Before you make your decision, the most important thing to remember is this: There are actually two ways to transfer data from the Switch 1 to the Switch 2, and despite what you might have read elsewhere, locally transferring your Switch 1 data to the Switch 2 during setup will not factory reset your original Switch. Unless you’ve taken extra steps beforehand, this is the option Nintendo’s setup process will recommend to you, so most users don’t need to be scared about accidentally erasing their original consoles. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt If you stick with a local transfer, it will simply copy over your data to your Switch 2, so that it exists on both systems. There are a few specific cases where some data will get removed from your original device as it makes its way over to your new one, but for the most part, you’ll be able to keep using your original device as usual after the transfer, and there are ways to get that data back later on (I’ll get into that). Just know that save data for specific games, as well as some free-to-play games, may have been deleted from your Switch 1 and moved over to your Switch 2. Don’t worry— Nintendo will warn you about which software will be affected during the transfer process. Additionally, screenshots and video captures stored on a microSD card attached to the Switch 1 will need to be moved over manually later on.How to transfer your Switch 1 data locallyWith that in mind, if you want to transfer your data locally, which is what most people should do, click the Begin System Transfer button and follow the instructions—this involves signing into your Nintendo account, keeping your original Switch powered on and in close proximity to the Switch 2, and activating the transfer on your original Switch under Settings > System Settings > System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2.How to transfer your Switch 1 data using Nintendo's serversThe confusion about factory resets comes from this data transfer option, which involves using the Nintendo servers. This will factory reset your Switch, and is best if you plan to sell it anyway, or if you expect to be away from your original Switch during Switch 2 setup and don’t mind setting up your original console from scratch when you get back to it. To start this kind of transfer, power on your original Switch, navigate to the System Transfer page mentioned above, then select I don’t have a Nintendo Switch 2 yet. Take note of the Download Deadline for later. Conveniently, that does point to one upside to this method: you can start it before you even have a Switch 2 in hand.Now, click Next, then Upload Data, then OK, followed by another OK. Click Start Initialization to begin factory resetting your original Switch. From here, your original Switch will revert to how it was before you bought it, and you’ll need to move over to your Switch 2, click Begin System Transfer, and sign into your Nintendo account. If the system detects that you have transfer data to download from the cloud, it’ll walk you through the process. Note, however, that if you don’t download your transfer data before the deadline you jotted down earlier, you’ll lose access to it.If you want to skip the data transfer process...If you’d rather not transfer your data, that’s also fine, but you won’t have an opportunity to do so later, and will instead need to move games and save data over manually. Click the Don’t Transfer Data button, then Continue to move to the next step.Adding a user and parental controlsWith system transfers out of the way, you’re through the hardest part of setting up your new console. Now, you’ll be prompted to add a user to the system. Here, you can sign in with your Nintendo Account to get access to your Switch Online subscription and your collection of downloadable games, or create a local user profile. After that, you can add more users as you like, or you can save that for later (simply navigate to System Settings > User > Add User).Next up, parental controls. Like with additional users, you can set these up later under System Settings > Parental Controls, but there’s no harm to setting them up now as well. To do so, click Set Parental Controls.  Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt You’ll have a few options. Most of these will prompt you to use Nintendo’s Parental Controls app, but you can also click the X button on the right-hand joy-con to set up limited parental controls directly on the console. Doing so will allow you to select from a number of presets that will block access to certain games and communication features, but not much else. Using the app, meanwhile, will let you set a daily play time limit, bedtime settings, restrictions on the new GameChat feature, and see reports on play time and games played. It also doesn’t require a Switch Online subscription, so it’s worth using if you have a smart device.To set up parental controls using the app, first download it for either iOS or Android using the information on the screen, then click the “If You’ve Already Downloaded the App” button. Enter the registration code from your app into your Switch 2 system, then follow the instructions in the app to finish setup. Which buttons you’ll need to click will depend on the controls you’d like to activate, as well as for which users and systems, but it’s fairly straightforward.MicroSD card limitationsJust a couple more screens. First, a quick warning about microSD cards. Unlike the Switch 1, the Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards, which are faster, but options for them are also a bit more limited—in other words, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to use the same microSD card from your Switch 1 on your Switch 2. To use a microSD card on Switch 2, it’ll need either of the two logos shown in the image below. A bit of a bummer, but at least a microSD card is optional (it’ll help you store more games, but the included storage on the Switch 2 is more generous than on the Switch 1). Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Oh, and like on the Switch 1, the microSD slot is hidden under the kickstand, in case you’re having trouble finding it.Virtual Game CardsYou’re technically through setup at this point, but there are still a few features you’ll probably want to configure before you start gaming. The most obvious of these is Virtual Game Cards, Nintendo’s new system for managing games purchased digitally.Essentially, like the name implies, these work similarly to physical game cards, but over the internet. This means that, unlike with your Steam library, you can only load a game to one console at a time. "Loading" is Nintendo specific term, but for the most part, it just means your game is downloaded and ready to play."(Technically, you can still play the same game on two separate consoles at the same time, even if it isn't loaded on one, but doing so is a bit obtuse—click through here for more details.)To access your Virtual Game Cards, click the Virtual Game Card icon in the bottom row on your Switch 2’s home screen—it’ll look like a game cartridge. From here, if you’ve signed into your Nintendo account, you’ll see all your digital purchases and will be able to download and play them from here. If you haven’t signed into your Nintendo Account, you’ll have the option to do so. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Now, you’ll have a few options. First, if a game isn’t loaded onto your original Switch, you can simply download it to your Switch 2 by clicking Load to This Console. If the console isn’t set as your primary device (likely the case if you didn’t do a transfer), you might see a warning if you try to open a game, depending on how up-to-date your original Switch's software is. If your original Switch doesn't have the Virtual Game Cards update yet, you can click the If You Don’t Have That Console button to download your game anyway. It will simply cease being playable on the other console while you use it on this one, although that’s always the case when moving a Virtual Game Card between systems. Otherwise, you might need to link your two systems by bringing them close together and following the instructions on screen before you can load a Virtual Game Card on your new device. If you're not able to do this, like if you've gotten rid of your original Switch while it's still set as your primary device, you can remove your old Switch from your account by deregistering it. After deregistering your old console, you can set your Switch 2 as your new primary device by connecting it to the eShop. If you're able to link your old console to your new one, this won’t be necessary for simply accessing your library, but it will extend any Nintendo Online benefits to all users on your new primary device, rather than the one associated with your Nintendo Account. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Alternatively, if you've managed to link your devices, you can use the device that currently has your Virtual Game Card (i.e. your Switch 1) on it to load it to your new one (i.e. your Switch 2). Simply open your games, click Load to Another Console, and follow the instructions on screen. This will have the same effect as the Load to This Console Button. Also, if you'd like to be able to continue playing a game on a device even after moving its Virtual Game Card to another device, you can enable Use Online License under System Settings > User Settings > Online License Settings to do just that. You'll need to be connected to the internet for this to work, whereas you can play a Virtual Game Card offline, but it's better than nothing. Plus, this enables that workaround from earlier in this section that allows you to play the same game on both devices at once.How to lend a Virtual Game Card to someone elseYou’ll also notice that you can lend a Virtual Game Card to members of a “Family Group.” To do this, you’ll first need to set up a Family Group online. On Nintendo’s website, log into your Nintendo Account, then click the Family Group tab on the left hand side of your account page. Here, you can invite members to join your Family Group via email, or create a Family Group account for your child. Note that if you have a Nintendo Switch online Family Plan subscription, members of your Family Group will be able to use its benefits (for up to eight accounts), although accounts that are part of your family group can also still use their individual subscriptions.With a Family Group set up, on the Virtual Game Card page, click the game you’d like to lend out, then Lend to a Family Group Member. Next, bring your Switch 2 in close proximity with that Family Group Member’s device—this needs to be done in person.Finally, click Select a User to Lend to. You can lend up to three games to three different accounts at once, and borrowers will be able to play these games for 14 days. During that time, you won’t be able to play the Game Card, and the borrower won’t get access to your save data while borrowing. However, they will keep their own save data for their next borrowing period, or if they choose to buy the game themselves. There are no limits to how often you can lend out a game, and you can re-lend games immediately upon the borrowing period expiring. Also, while you’ll need to lend out your games in person, they’ll return to you remotely.Transferring save dataEven if you didn’t transfer your Switch 1 data to your Switch 2 during setup, you can still access its save data on your new device. You have a couple of options here.First, the free option. On your original Switch, go to System Settings > Data Management > Transfer Your Save Data. Click Send Data to Another Console, then pick the user whose saves you want to send to your Switch 2. Pick the saves you want to send over, then click OK. Note that these saves will be deleted from your original console once moved over.Next, with your Switch 2 in close proximity to your Switch 1 (this also needs to be done in person), navigate to System Settings > Data Management > Transfer Your Save Data. Click Receive Save Data. To move data from your Switch 2 to your Switch 1, simply perform these steps in reverse.Second, the paid option. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can also use cloud saves to move save data between devices. By default, these are enabled automatically and will keep both of your systems up to date with the most recent saves. However, you can also manually download cloud saves either from a game’s software menu (press + or - while hovering over it on the Switch home screen) or from System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud. You can also disable automatic save data download from here, if you like.Lock your home screen behind a passcodeFinally, you can lock your Switch 2 with a PIN for some added security, kind of like a cell phone. To set this up, simply go to Settings > System > Console Lock. Click OK, then follow the instructions on the screen that pops up to enter your PIN.There’s plenty more to dive into with the Switch 2, which I’ll cover over the following week. For now, though, this should be enough to get you started. Happy gaming!