In 2025, it’s very difficult not to see gambling advertised everywhere. It’s on billboards and sports broadcasts. It’s on podcasts and printed on the turnbuckle of AEW’s pay-per-view shows. And it’s on app stores, where you can find the FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks, alongside glitzy digital slot machines. These apps all have the highest age ratings possible on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. But earlier this year, a different kind of app nearly disappeared from the Play Store entirely.Luck Be A Landlord is a roguelite deckbuilder from solo developer Dan DiIorio. DiIorio got word from Google in January 2025 that Luck Be A Landlord was about to be pulled, globally, because DiIorio had not disclosed the game’s “gambling themes” in its rating.In Luck Be a Landlord, the player takes spins on a pixel art slot machine to earn coins to pay their ever-increasing rent — a nightmare gamification of our day-to-day grind to remain housed. On app stores, it’s a one-time purchase of $4.99, and it’s $9.99 on Steam. On the Play Store page, developer Dan DiIorio notes, “This game does not contain any real-world currency gambling or microtransactions.”And it doesn’t. But for Google, that didn’t matter. First, the game was removed from the storefront in a slew of countries that have strict gambling laws. Then, at the beginning of 2025, Google told Dilorio that Luck Be A Landlord would be pulled globally because of its rating discrepancy, as it “does not take into account references to gambling (including real or simulated gambling)”.DiIorio had gone through this song and dance before — previously, when the game was blocked, he would send back a message saying “hey, the game doesn’t have gambling,” and then Google would send back a screenshot of the game and assert that, in fact, it had.DiIorio didn’t agree, but this time they decided that the risk of Landlord getting taken down permanently was too great. They’re a solo developer, and Luck Be a Landlord had just had its highest 30-day revenue since release. So, they filled out the form confirming that Luck Be A Landlord has “gambling themes,” and are currently hoping that this will be the end of it.This is a situation that sucks for an indie dev to be in, and over email DiIorio told Polygon it was “very frustrating.”“I think it can negatively affect indie developers if they fall outside the norm, which indies often do,” they wrote. “It also makes me afraid to explore mechanics like this further. It stifles creativity, and that’s really upsetting.”In late 2024, the hit game Balatro was in a similar position. It had won numerous awards, and made $1,000,000 in its first week on mobile platforms. And then overnight, the PEGI ratings board declared that the game deserved an adult rating.The ESRB had already rated it E10+ in the US, noting it has gambling themes. And the game was already out in Europe, making its overnight ratings change a surprise. Publisher PlayStack said the rating was given because Balatro has “prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling.”Balatro is basically Luck Be A Landlord’s little cousin. Developer LocalThunk was inspired by watching streams of Luck Be A Landlord, and seeing the way DiIorio had implemented deck-building into his slot machine. And like Luck Be A Landlord, Balatro is a one-time purchase, with no microtransactions.But the PEGI board noted that because the game uses poker hands, the skills the player learns in Balatro could translate to real-world poker.In its write-up, GameSpot noted that the same thing happened to a game called Sunshine Shuffle. It was temporarily banned from the Nintendo eShop, and also from the entire country of South Korea. Unlike Balatro, Sunshine Shuffle actually is a poker game, except you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em — again for no real money — with cute animals (who are bank robbers).It’s common sense that children shouldn’t be able to access apps that allow them to gamble. But none of these games contain actual gambling — or do they?Where do we draw the line? Is it gambling to play any game that is also played in casinos, like poker or blackjack? Is it gambling to play a game that evokes the aesthetics of a casino, like cards, chips, dice, or slot machines? Is it gambling to wager or earn fictional money?Gaming has always been a lightning rod for controversy. Sex, violence, misogyny, addiction — you name it, video games have been accused of perpetrating or encouraging it. But gambling is gaming’s original sin. And it’s the one we still can’t get a grip on.The original link between gambling and gamingGetty ImagesThe association between video games and gambling all goes back to pinball. Back in the ’30s and ’40s, politicians targeted pinball machines for promoting gambling. Early pinball machines were less skill-based (they didn’t have flippers), and some gave cash payouts, so the comparison wasn’t unfair. Famously, mob-hating New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia banned pinball in the city, and appeared in a newsreel dumping pinball and slot machines into the Long Island Sound. Pinball machines spent some time relegated to the back rooms of sex shops and dive bars. But after some lobbying, the laws relaxed.By the 1970s, pinball manufacturers were also making video games, and the machines were side-by-side in arcades. Arcade machines, like pinball, took small coin payments, repeatedly, for short rounds of play. The disreputable funk of pinball basically rubbed off onto video games.Ever since video games rocked onto the scene, concerned and sometimes uneducated parties have been asking if they’re dangerous. And in general, studies have shown that they’re not. The same can’t be said about gambling — the practice of putting real money down to bet on an outcome.It’s a golden age for gambling2025 in the USA is a great time for gambling, which has been really profitable for gambling companies — to the tune of $66.5 billion dollars of revenue in 2023.To put this number in perspective, the American Gaming Association, which is the casino industry’s trade group and has nothing to do with video games, reports that 2022’s gambling revenue was $60.5 billion. It went up $6 billion in a year.And this increase isn’t just because of sportsbooks, although sports betting is a huge part of it. Online casinos and brick-and-mortar casinos are both earning more, and as a lot of people have pointed out, gambling is being normalized to a pretty disturbing degree.Much like with alcohol, for a small percentage of people, gambling can tip from occasional leisure activity into addiction. The people who are most at risk are, by and large, already vulnerable: researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that 96% of problem gamblers are also wrestling with other disorders, such as “substance use, impulse-control disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders.”Even if you’re not in that group, there are still good reasons to be wary of gambling. People tend to underestimate their own vulnerability to things they know are dangerous for others. Someone else might bet beyond their means. But I would simply know when to stop.Maybe you do! But being blithely confident about it can make it hard to notice if you do develop a problem. Or if you already have one.Addiction changes the way your brain works. When you’re addicted to something, your participation in it becomes compulsive, at the expense of other interests and responsibilities. Someone might turn to their addiction to self-soothe when depressed or anxious. And speaking of those feelings, people who are depressed and anxious are already more vulnerable to addiction. Given the entire state of the world right now, this predisposition shines an ugly light on the numbers touted by the AGA. Is it good that the industry is reporting $6 billion in additional earnings, when the economy feels so frail, when the stock market is ping ponging through highs and lows daily, when daily expenses are rising? It doesn’t feel good. In 2024, the YouTuber Drew Gooden turned his critical eye to online gambling. One of the main points he makes in his excellent video is that gambling is more accessible than ever. It’s on all our phones, and betting companies are using decades of well-honed app design and behavioral studies to manipulate users to spend and spend.Meanwhile, advertising on podcasts, billboards, TV, radio, and websites – it’s literally everywhere — tells you that this is fun, and you don’t even need to know what you’re doing, and you’re probably one bet away from winning back those losses.Where does Luck Be a Landlord come into this?So, are there gambling themes in Luck Be A Landlord? The game’s slot machine is represented in simple pixel art. You pay one coin to use it, and among the more traditional slot machine symbols are silly ones like a snail that only pays out after 4 spins.When I started playing it, my primary emotion wasn’t necessarily elation at winning coins — it was stress and disbelief when, in the third round of the game, the landlord increased my rent by 100%. What the hell.I don’t doubt that getting better at it would produce dopamine thrills akin to gambling — or playing any video game. But it’s supposed to be difficult, because that’s the joke. If you beat the game you unlock more difficulty modes where, as you keep paying rent, your landlord gets furious, and starts throwing made-up rules at you: previously rare symbols will give you less of a payout, and the very mechanics of the slot machine change.It’s a manifestation of the golden rule of casinos, and all of capitalism writ large: the odds are stacked against you. The house always wins. There is luck involved, to be sure, but because Luck Be A Landlord is a deck-builder, knowing the different ways you can design your slot machine to maximize payouts is a skill! You have some influence over it, unlike a real slot machine. The synergies that I’ve seen high-level players create are completely nuts, and obviously based on a deep understanding of the strategies the game allows.IMAGE: TrampolineTales via PolygonBalatro and Luck Be a Landlord both distance themselves from casino gambling again in the way they treat money. In Landlord, the money you earn is gold coins, not any currency we recognize. And the payouts aren’t actually that big. By the end of the core game, the rent money you’re struggling and scraping to earn… is 777 coins. In the post-game endless mode, payouts can get massive. But the thing is, to get this far, you can’t rely on chance. You have to be very good at Luck Be a Landlord.And in Balatro, the numbers that get big are your points. The actual dollar payments in a round of Balatro are small. These aren’t games about earning wads and wads of cash. So, do these count as “gambling themes”?We’ll come back to that question later. First, I want to talk about a closer analog to what we colloquially consider gambling: loot boxes and gacha games.Random rewards: from Overwatch to the rise of gachaRecently, I did something that I haven’t done in a really long time: I thought about Overwatch. I used to play Overwatch with my friends, and I absolutely made a habit of dropping 20 bucks here or there for a bunch of seasonal loot boxes. This was never a problem behavior for me, but in hindsight, it does sting that over a couple of years, I dropped maybe $150 on cosmetics for a game that now I primarily associate with squandered potential.Loot boxes grew out of free-to-play mobile games, where they’re the primary method of monetization. In something like Overwatch, they functioned as a way to earn additional revenue in an ongoing game, once the player had already dropped 40 bucks to buy it.More often than not, loot boxes are a random selection of skins and other cosmetics, but games like Star Wars: Battlefront 2 were famously criticized for launching with loot crates that essentially made it pay-to-win – if you bought enough of them and got lucky.It’s not unprecedented to associate loot boxes with gambling. A 2021 study published in Addictive Behaviors showed that players who self-reported as problem gamblers also tended to spend more on loot boxes, and another study done in the UK found a similar correlation with young adults.While Overwatch certainly wasn’t the first game to feature cosmetic loot boxes or microtransactions, it’s a reference point for me, and it also got attention worldwide. In 2018, Overwatch was investigated by the Belgian Gaming Commission, which found it “in violation of gambling legislation” alongside FIFA 18 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Belgium’s response was to ban the sale of loot boxes without a gambling license. Having a paid random rewards mechanic in a game is a criminal offense there. But not really. A 2023 study showed that 82% of iPhone games sold on the App Store in Belgium still use random paid monetization, as do around 80% of games that are rated 12+. The ban wasn’t effectively enforced, if at all, and the study recommends that a blanket ban wouldn’t actually be a practical solution anyway.Overwatch was rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and 12 by PEGI. When it first came out, its loot boxes were divisive. Since the mechanic came from F2P mobile games, which are often seen as predatory, people balked at seeing it in a big action game from a multi-million dollar publisher.At the time, the rebuttal was, “Well, at least it’s just cosmetics.” Nobody needs to buy loot boxes to be good at Overwatch.A lot has changed since 2016. Now we have a deeper understanding of how these mechanics are designed to manipulate players, even if they don’t affect gameplay. But also, they’ve been normalized. While there will always be people expressing disappointment when a AAA game has a paid random loot mechanic, it is no longer shocking.And if anything, these mechanics have only become more prevalent, thanks to the growth of gacha games. Gacha is short for “gachapon,” the Japanese capsule machines where you pay to receive one of a selection of random toys. Getty ImagesIn gacha games, players pay — not necessarily real money, but we’ll get to that — for a chance to get something. Maybe it’s a character, or a special weapon, or some gear — it depends on the game. Whatever it is, within that context, it’s desirable — and unlike the cosmetics of Overwatch, gacha pulls often do impact the gameplay.For example, in Infinity Nikki, you can pull for clothing items in these limited-time events. You have a chance to get pieces of a five-star outfit. But you also might pull one of a set of four-star items, or a permanent three-star piece. Of course, if you want all ten pieces of the five-star outfit, you have to do multiple pulls, each costing a handful of limited resources that you can earn in-game or purchase with money.Gacha was a fixture of mobile gaming for a long time, but in recent years, we’ve seen it go AAA, and global. MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact did a lot of that work when it came out worldwide on consoles and PC alongside its mobile release. Genshin and its successors are massive AAA games of a scale that, for your Nintendos and Ubisofts, would necessitate selling a bajillion copies to be a success. And they’re free.Genshin is an action game, whose playstyle changes depending on what character you’re playing — characters you get from gacha pulls, of course. In Zenless Zone Zero, the characters you can pull have different combo patterns, do different kinds of damage, and just feel different to play. And whereas in an early mobile gacha game like Love Nikki Dress UP! Queen the world was rudimentary, its modern descendant Infinity Nikki is, like Genshin, Breath of the Wild-esque. It is a massive open world, with collectibles and physics puzzles, platforming challenges, and a surprisingly involved storyline. Genshin Impact was the subject of an interesting study where researchers asked young adults in Hong Kong to self-report on their gacha spending habits. They found that, like with gambling, players who are not feeling good tend to spend more. “Young adult gacha gamers experiencing greater stress and anxiety tend to spend more on gacha purchases, have more motives for gacha purchases, and participate in more gambling activities,” they wrote. “This group is at a particularly higher risk of becoming problem gamblers.”One thing that is important to note is that Genshin Impact came out in 2020. The study was self-reported, and it was done during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time when people were experiencing a lot of stress, and also fewer options to relieve that stress. We were all stuck inside gaming.But the fact that stress can make people more likely to spend money on gacha shows that while the gacha model isn’t necessarily harmful to everyone, it is exploitative to everyone. Since I started writing this story, another self-reported study came out in Japan, where 18.8% of people in their 20s say they’ve spent money on gacha rather than on things like food or rent.Following Genshin Impact’s release, MiHoYo put out Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero. All are shiny, big-budget games that are free to play, but dangle the lure of making just one purchase in front of the player. Maybe you could drop five bucks on a handful of in-game currency to get one more pull. Or maybe just this month you’ll get the second tier of rewards on the game’s equivalent of a Battle Pass. The game is free, after all — but haven’t you enjoyed at least ten dollars’ worth of gameplay? Image: HoyoverseI spent most of my December throwing myself into Infinity Nikki. I had been so stressed, and the game was so soothing. I logged in daily to fulfill my daily wishes and earn my XP, diamonds, Threads of Purity, and bling. I accumulated massive amounts of resources. I haven’t spent money on the game. I’m trying not to, and so far, it’s been pretty easy. I’ve been super happy with how much stuff I can get for free, and how much I can do! I actually feel really good about that — which is what I said to my boyfriend, and he replied, “Yeah, that’s the point. That’s how they get you.”And he’s right. Currently, Infinity Nikki players are embroiled in a war with developer Infold, after Infold introduced yet another currency type with deep ties to Nikki’s gacha system. Every one of these gacha games has its own tangled system of overlapping currencies. Some can only be used on gacha pulls. Some can only be used to upgrade items. Many of them can be purchased with human money.Image: InFold Games/Papergames via PolygonAll of this adds up. According to Sensor Towers’ data, Genshin Impact earned over 36 million dollars on mobile alone in a single month of 2024. I don’t know what Dan DiIorio’s peak monthly revenue for Luck Be A Landlord was, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t that.A lot of the spending guardrails we see in games like these are actually the result of regulations in other territories, especially China, where gacha has been a big deal for a lot longer. For example, gacha games have a daily limit on loot boxes, with the number clearly displayed, and a system collectively called “pity,” where getting the banner item is guaranteed after a certain number of pulls. Lastly, developers have to be clear about what the odds are. When I log in to spend the Revelation Crystals I’ve spent weeks hoarding in my F2P Infinity Nikki experience, I know that I have a 1.5% chance of pulling a 5-star piece, and that the odds can go up to 6.06%, and that I am guaranteed to get one within 20 pulls, because of the pity system.So, these odds are awful. But it is not as merciless as sitting down at a Vegas slot machine, an experience best described as “oh… that’s it?”There’s not a huge philosophical difference between buying a pack of loot boxes in Overwatch, a pull in Genshin Impact, or even a booster of Pokémon cards. You put in money, you get back randomized stuff that may or may not be what you want. In the dictionary definition, it’s a gamble. But unlike the slot machine, it’s not like you’re trying to win money by doing it, unless you’re selling those Pokémon cards, which is a topic for another time.But since even a game where you don’t get anything, like Balatro or Luck Be A Landlord, can come under fire for promoting gambling to kids, it would seem appropriate for app stores and ratings boards to take a similarly hardline stance with gacha.Instead, all these games are rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and PEGI 12 in the EU.The ESRB ratings for these games note that they contain in-game purchases, including random items. Honkai: Star Rail’s rating specifically calls out a slot machine mechanic, where players spend tokens to win a prize. But other than calling out Honkai’s slot machine, app stores are not slapping Genshin or Nikki with an 18+ rating. Meanwhile, Balatro had a PEGI rating of 18 until a successful appeal in February 2025, and Luck Be a Landlord is still 17+ on Apple’s App Store.Nobody knows what they’re doingWhen I started researching this piece, I felt very strongly that it was absurd that Luck Be A Landlord and Balatro had age ratings this high.I still believe that the way both devs have been treated by ratings boards is bad. Threatening an indie dev with a significant loss of income by pulling their game is bad, not giving them a way to defend themself or help them understand why it’s happening is even worse. It’s an extension of the general way that too-big-to-fail companies like Google treat all their customers.DiIorio told me that while it felt like a human being had at least looked at Luck Be A Landlord to make the determination that it contained gambling themes, the emails he was getting were automatic, and he doesn’t have a contact at Google to ask why this happened or how he can avoid it in the future — an experience that will be familiar to anyone who has ever needed Google support. But what’s changed for me is that I’m not actually sure anymore that games that don’t have gambling should be completely let off the hook for evoking gambling.Exposing teens to simulated gambling without financial stakes could spark an interest in the real thing later on, according to a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It’s the same reason you can’t mosey down to the drug store to buy candy cigarettes. Multiple studies were done that showed kids who ate candy cigarettes were more likely to take up smoking (of course, the candy is still available — just without the “cigarette” branding.)So while I still think rating something like Balatro 18+ is nuts, I also think that describing it appropriately might be reasonable. As a game, it’s completely divorced from literally any kind of play you would find in a casino — but I can see the concern that the thrill of flashy numbers and the shiny cards might encourage young players to try their hand at poker in a real casino, where a real house can take their money.Maybe what’s more important than doling out high age ratings is helping people think about how media can affect us. In the same way that, when I was 12 and obsessed with The Matrix, my parents gently made sure that I knew that none of the violence was real and you can’t actually cartwheel through a hail of bullets in real life. Thanks, mom and dad!But that’s an answer that’s a lot more abstract and difficult to implement than a big red 18+ banner. When it comes to gacha, I think we’re even less equipped to talk about these game mechanics, and I’m certain they’re not being age-rated appropriately. On the one hand, like I said earlier, gacha exploits the player’s desire for stuff that they are heavily manipulated to buy with real money. On the other hand, I think it’s worth acknowledging that there is a difference between gacha and casino gambling.Problem gamblers aren’t satisfied by winning — the thing they’re addicted to is playing, and the risk that comes with it. In gacha games, players do report satisfaction when they achieve the prize they set out to get. And yes, in the game’s next season, the developer will be dangling a shiny new prize in front of them with the goal of starting the cycle over. But I think it’s fair to make the distinction, while still being highly critical of the model.And right now, there is close to no incentive for app stores to crack down on gacha in any way. They get a cut of in-app purchases. Back in 2023, miHoYo tried a couple of times to set up payment systems that circumvented Apple’s 30% cut of in-app spending. Both times, it was thwarted by Apple, whose App Store generated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022.According to Apple itself, 90% of that money did not include any commission to Apple. Fortunately for Apple, ten percent of a trillion dollars is still one hundred billion dollars, which I would also like to have in my bank account. Apple has zero reason to curb spending on games that have been earning millions of dollars every month for years.And despite the popularity of Luck Be A Landlord and Balatro’s massive App Store success, these games will never be as lucrative. They’re one-time purchases, and they don’t have microtransactions. To add insult to injury, like most popular games, Luck Be A Landlord has a lot of clones. And from what I can tell, it doesn’t look like any of them have been made to indicate that their games contain the dreaded “gambling themes” that Google was so worried about in Landlord.In particular, a game called SpinCraft: Roguelike from Sneaky Panda Games raised $6 million in seed funding for “inventing the Luck-Puzzler genre,” which it introduced in 2022, while Luck Be A Landlord went into early access in 2021.It’s free-to-play, has ads and in-app purchases, looks like Fisher Price made a slot machine, and it’s rated E for everyone, with no mention of gambling imagery in its rating. I reached out to the developers to ask if they had also been contacted by the Play Store to disclose that their game has gambling themes, but I haven’t heard back.Borrowing mechanics in games is as old as time, and it’s something I in no way want to imply shouldn’t happen because copyright is the killer of invention — but I think we can all agree that the system is broken.There is no consistency in how games with random chance are treated. We still do not know how to talk about gambling, or gambling themes, and at the end of the day, the results of this are the same: the house always wins.See More:

The original Switch is still a better option than the Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Published June 1, 2025 1:00am The Switch 1 isn’t going anywhere (Nintendo) A reader argues that the original Switch will still be relevant even after the Switch 2 launches, and that for some it will be the preferred choice. I haven’t been playing games as much as I did, say, three years ago, mainly because I’ve found interest in other things, such as reading and creating content. However, I still delve into games and my love for Nintendo is still there, but I did consider parting with some of my gaming collection – which is mostly a curated list of mainly Nintendo games and consoles. I did see the announcement of the Switch 2 in early April and initially I was hyped for it but I think that has subsided somewhat, mainly due to the pricing of both the consoles and games; I am still going to be receiving it day one though. I don’t think Nintendo has done themselves any favours though and the landscape has changed, with regards to mobile gaming in general, with the advent of the Steam Deck and other options from different manufacturers which makes this a crowded market. [The Steam Deck has only sold around 4 million units worldwide, compared to over 150 million for the Switch, and yet it’s still the most successful of the PC handhelds – GC] I find myself purchasing games on Steam vs. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. In fact, I ended up parting ways with my Xbox Series X and am considering the same with my PlayStation 5, as I mainly play games in portable form, with the Steam Deck and Switch being enough for me. With Nintendo it is mainly the first party titles that I would purchase on Switch 2, but it will make me think twice due to the price tag on the games (£60+) and with Nintendo the pricing of their games don’t really go on sale that much, if at all. I know a lot of people are still considering getting rid of their original Switch in favour of the Switch 2, however I think it is still relevant in 2025 and beyond. Games, Games, Games With over 10,000 games, the Switch has a diverse library of titles. I love the fact the I have a big and robust library of physical games that I can play for years to come. The pricing on new games are anywhere between £25 to £50, with Zelda being the exception at £60 to £70. A lot of third party games you can pick up on sale. A lot of games are physical and most come with the game on the actual cartridge, so even in the future, if Nintendo decide to pull the eShop for the original Switch, you can still play games offline. Games are still being released for the original Nintendo Switch for the foreseeable future. It will stop being supported one day but there is still plenty to choose from, both used, digital, and new. I truly believe that the Switch 2 won’t be as popular as the first Switch, mainly due to pricing £60+ on games and switching their strategy on physical games, with partial downloads or game key cards, which in theory is easily shareable but having to download the entire game isn’t the most user friendly and there is still a reliance on the digital ecosystem. Backwards Compatibility Watching a YouTube video by ModernVintageGamer, I’ve come to learn that backwards compatibility with Switch 2 isn’t all it is cracked up to be. Nintendo is fully supporting backwards compatibility with most of their games, however third parties are left to patch games on their own discretion due to different system architecture in comparison to the original Switch. So it will be a bit hit and miss, more than likely they would rather release another ‘remastered’ version which they can sell to consumers again, rather than patch games. Also, bearing in mind some publishers don’t want the costs associated with patching a game. Different consoles At this stage in the original Switch’s lifecycle there are a bunch of form factors to choose from. I have all three and use them in different environments; my Switch OLED gets used at home in portable mode and connected to the TV, while the original Switch is good for family party gaming, which I take around for family gatherings. The Switch Lite is small and portable and that it is great for single-player games with the cross-key but also great for travelling and going on holidays. You can pick up the Switch Lite for dirt cheap now, used, and I expect prices to fall further whilst they clear stock. Simultaneous play I haven’t seen too much details around this but Nintendo did announce original Switch compatibility with the Nintendo Switch 2 to allow for simultaneous multiplayer gaming with one cartridge, so that Nintendo Switch 2 acts as the main (host) console whilst the original Switch can be used for multiplayer gaming. So in essence you can all play Mario Kart from one Switch 2 console, by having your own screen, similar to the Wii U. I think this will be valuable for me with family gatherings, as most of us have Switches. Cost So, I did mention costs for games earlier. However, as the original Switch has matured there are a plethora of cheap accessories that can be had on the cheap, compared to Switch 2, such as extra Joy-Cons, controllers, games, cheap microSD cards, plus others. Best Nintendo console? I still love my Switch, and it won’t be going anywhere, and I think it is Nintendo’s best console in the past 20 years. I have a special place in my heart for the NES, SNES, Game Boy and GameCube, as being S-tier consoles but I think the Switch could be argued as being their best console. Ask me on a random day and my answer will probably change, because Nintendo have created timeless consoles as far as I am concerned, so it is difficult to choose one. But the original Switch makes a compelling choice especially for the younger generation. More Trending By reader wetbandit Not everyone’s going to jump in straight away (Nintendo) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. 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Image: Nintendo LifeThe summer is here, the Switch 2 is almost here, and that means it's eShop Selects time for May. This is our very last Switch 1 edition of our monthly feature — but don't worry, things aren't changing with the release of a new console. You'll still be getting your monthly dose of eShop hidden gems that we've reviewed, but Switch 2 eShop exclusives will be joining the party too. So, let's jump in — like previous editions, our team of writers and contributors have got together to vote for their top three games from all game releases we reviewed from May 2025. The games with the highest total scores make our top three. It really is that simple.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube814kWatch on YouTube Switch too The very best Switch 2 games coming soon Honourable mentions Let's get something out of the way, first — Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time would be eligible for this, but we're currently in the process of reviewing it. As such, because it's also coming to Switch 2 on launch day, it will be eligible for votes in our June edition. So don't panic! Another notable release missing is Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, a late-May release that's been reviewing extremely well. This is another one we're working on as we speak, which is why you won't spy it below. So what have we got in the running this month? From our 7/10 eShop exclusives... there's quite a lot to choose from! Every single game got at least one vote from our writers, so here's what just missed out on a top-three spot, followed by the podium: Arcade Archives NebulasRay | Review: 7/10 Dunk Dunk | Review: 7/10 Into the Restless Ruins | Review: 9/10 Labyrinth of the Demon King | Review: 8/10 Old Skies | Review: 7/10 Scoot over, Ness 3rd Place - Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Publisher: Capcom / Developer: CapcomRelease Date: 23rd May 2025 (USA) / 23rd May 2025 (UK/EU)We're living in the samurai renaissance, so why shouldn't one of the most well-known video game samurais return to take the spotlight? Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny got a remaster almost 23 years after its original release, and it's still excellent, despite the aspect ratio issues. This is largely a no-frills release of the PS2 game, with some nice quality-of-life feature like autosave, better weapon switching, and the ability to swap between new and tank controls. It's perhaps not the most popular game in the series, but we love it, scoring it an 8/10. Blade of glory 2nd Place - Please, Touch The Artwork 2 Publisher: Studio Waterzooi / Developer: Thomas WaterzooiRelease Date: 23rd May 2025 (USA) / 23rd May 2025 (UK/EU)Ahhh, here's a Nintendo Life favourite. Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is a delightfully wacky expansion of Thomas Waterzooi's predecessor, this time focusing on a skeleton and (mostly) the artwork of James Ensor, a Belgian artist. Oh, and the skeleton is the artist himself. Yep. That should give you an idea of what to expect from the game — it's surreal, absurd, gentle, and relaxing all in one, and for less that $5, an absolute steal. You can play it on your lunch break with a cuppa and you'll be done in under an hour. A worthy 9/10, if we say so ourselves. Touch, I remember touch 1st Place - Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping Publisher: Happy Broccoli / Developer: Happy BroccoliRelease Date: 22nd May 2025 (USA) / 22nd May 2025 (UK/EU)Short and sweet seems to be a theme this month, and our eShop Selects winner — and the final Switch 1-only winner — goes to a lovely little 3-hour mystery starring a recovering bread addict duck. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is the kind of levity we need in the world right now. This sequel is a total delight, barmy and silly with a little bit of thought put into it. It's not the most challenging mystery, nor will many of the reveals surprise, but it never failed to make us smile. We scored Duck Detective's second case an 8/10, and we hope to see Eugene McQuacklin return. I suspect fowl play < Nintendo eShop Selects - April 2025 Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about your favourite eShop releases of last month by voting in our poll and sharing your thoughts in the comments. What's the best eShop game from our May 2025 picks? (0 votes) No results yet, check back later... How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores. Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month's top prize. Related Games See Also Share:0 0 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Switch 2 And Switch 1 Prices Have Been Revealed And we're pleasantly surprised Nintendo Shares Video Detailing New N64 Features For Switch Online Be kind, rewind Nintendo Switch System Update 20.1.0 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes Stability is back, baby Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Here's how this "slow-life RPG" has been received so far... Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 2.0.7 Patch Notes - Switch & Switch 2 Multiplayer Compatibility "Improved" Return to island life next week

The launch of a new console is always exciting, because new hardware means new software to play on it. For the Switch 2, Nintendo is changing tactics with the release cadence of new games, as the console will launch with just a single first-party exclusive instead of several all at once. The launch lineup will still be bolstered by third-party support, and the company has several more exclusives on the way, but these are arriving throughout the rest of 2025 and 2026.For this list, we're looking at the games you'll only find on the Switch 2 and the ones that offer new content exclusively for the system. We're skipping Switch games being upgraded for the Switch 2--like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom--or titles that'll be available on both Switch and Switch 2, like Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.We're expecting a library of Switch 2 games that'll stand tall next to some of the best across multiple Nintendo eras, and we'll be listing every known and new release as they're revealed. Mario Kart WorldRelease date: June 5, 2025The marquee title for the Switch 2, Mario Kart World is the first mainline entry in the series since the release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017, which was a port of 2014's Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. Mario Kart World looks like it has the potential to push the series to new heights, as it offers colorful visuals, a stacked roster, and courses set inside of a massive open-world environment that can be freely explored.Where to buyWalmartTargetBest Buy Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome TourRelease date: June 5, 2025The Nintendo Switch 2 will be loaded with several new features, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour looks like a fine--and fun!--way to learn about them. The caveat here is that this tech demo has a $10 entrance fee, but if you don't mind paying for it, this will likely be a great way to explore the new features on this console. See on the Nintendo eShop Kirby Air RidersRelease date: 2025The Kirby Air Ride sequel that fans have been waiting years for, this new game is being directed by the pink blob's creator, Masahiro Sakurai. Kirby Air Ride on the GameCube was beloved for its fast-paced racing action in multiplayer sessions, and while we don't know too much about the new game yet, we're hoping to see some of that classic Kirby magic when the cute fella arrives on Switch 2. See on the Nintendo eShop Donkey Kong BananzaRelease date: July 17, 2025The next Donkey Kong adventure combines traditional platforming fun with destruction, as Nintendo's favorite ape will be able to smash his way through various environment. You'll be able to tear off chunks of terrain to hurl at enemies and punch your way into subterranean worlds to uncover secrets lurking beneath the surface.Where to buyWalmartTargetGameStop Fast FusionRelease date: June 5We haven't seen a brand-new F-Zero game in many years, but Fast Fusion might just be the next best thing. A very fast anti-gravity racing game that looks like it was also inspired by Wipeout, Fast Fusion is the fourth game in the Fast series and a sequel to 2017's Fast RMX. See on the Nintendo eShop Hyrule Warriors: Age of ImprisonmentRelease date: 2025This isn't the first time that Koei Tecmo and Nintendo have teamed up, and like its previous effort, you can expect this game to combine the world and characters of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors. Narratively, Age of Imprisonment serves as a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom as it focuses on the "Imprisoning War" that set the stage for that game. See on the Nintendo eShop Survival KidsRelease date: June 5, 2025The original Survival Kids game was released all the way back in 1999, and while it wasn't a smash-hit, critics at the time did praise it for its clever blend of ideas inspired by the likes of Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda. The sequel once again follows a group of kids stranded on an island and forced to fend for themselves, but this time, the focus is on co-op gameplay, puzzle-solving, and crafting. See on the Nintendo eShop Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD RemasterRelease date: June 5First released on the Nintendo 3DS, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster on Switch 2 will feature some nifty upgrades on that system. The remaster has improved graphics, but in terms of content, this version also offers a redesigned user interface, the ability to fast-forward through certain scenes, quality-of-life upgrades, and two types of mouse-controlled minigames.Where to buyWalmartBest BuyGameStopTarget Yakuza 0: Director's CutRelease date: June 5Considered to be the best game in the Yakuza series, Yakuza 0: Director's Cut is a two-fisted tour through Tokyo that tells a hard-hitting story. For its Switch 2 release, the game is being updated with new cutscenes designed to give deeper insight into key incidents and character backstories, an English dub has been added, and there's a new online mode called Red Light Raid. For now, it looks like Yakuza 0: Director's Cut has only been confirmed for Switch 2, but we wouldn't be surprised if it makes the leap to other platforms after a period of timed exclusivity.Where to buyAmazonWalmart Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV: Switch 2 EditionRelease date: July 24While the game did launch for in October 2024, Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV: Switch 2 Edition will offer more than just improved graphics and frame rates. This new edition is packed with new modes and minigames, making this the ultimate version of the party game.Where to buyWalmartTargetGameStop Release date: August 28In case you missed it when it first came out on Switch, Kirby and the Forgotten Land was a terrific adventure starring the adorable Nintendo icon. On Switch 2, the game is getting a graphical upgrade and exclusive adventure called Star-Crossed World and all-new Mouthful Modes to wield in battle.Where to buyWalmartTargetGameStop Drag x DriveRelease date: Summer 2025If there's going to be a showcase game for the Switch 2's new Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, it might just be Drag x Drive. Details on it are slim for now, but from what we've seen so far, Drag x Drive will let you put your hoop-shooting skills to the test while you race around the arena in a wheelchair. The catch here is that the game makes heavy use of the Switch 2's mouse controls to move around and score points. See on the Nintendo eShop The DuskbloodsRelease date: 2026With Elden Ring Nightreign proving to be an enjoyable showcase of souls-like multiplayer, we're excited to see what From Software has in store for Switch 2 players when The Duskbloods eventually hits the scene. The studio has shared more details on the game since it was first revealed, like how players can choose from a cast of "over a dozen" characters that can be customized, the setting for the game, and how progression works. Interestingly, The Duskbloods was originally pitched for the Switch, but plans changed after Nintendo spoke to developer From Software about the Switch 2 console. See on the Nintendo eShop

In search of a new laptop? If you’re primary need for a computer is basic web browsing, email drafting, word processing, and YouTube video-watching, then you really don’t need to shell out for anything crazy expensive. A Chromebook is kind of the perfect tool for these use cases plus they’re super great for travel. Asus has its Chromebook CX14 on sale over at Best Buy. Right now, it’s been shaved down almost 50%. That brings the price from its usual $279 to just $149. You can save a cool $130 for a limited time. Something unique about this Chromebook is the screen can lay flat at a 180° angle with its keyboard. This makes collaboration with others easier as everyone around the table can see what’s on display. See at Best Buy This Asus Chromebook CX14 has a decently sized screen, measuring in at 14inches. It displays in full 1080p HD. The narrow bezels allow you to make the most of your screen space while keeping the laptop as whole compact and easy to travel with. And you can travel with it anywhere because the screen has a matte anti-glare coating to help reduce reflections. Respond to emails out at your favorite sunny outdoor coffeeshop. Lightweight, Yet Durable Speaking of travel, you can maintain peace of mind toting this Chromebook around with you wherever you go. It’s built solid, meeting industry-leading MIL-STD 810H US military standard. That means it has undergone stringent testing to withstand panel pressure, shock, and drops to ensure maximum toughness. The Asus Chromebook is quick to start up, only taking 10 seconds to being operational from when you push the button. The side comprises of several useful ports including a full-function reversible USB-C port that can be used for easy charging or to connect peripherals. You also get a USB 3.2 Type A port. The Chromebook also has an AUX port, my beloved (still mad at Apple for removing them from phones). This Chromebook comes with a three month trial of Gemini Advanced premium plan—Google’s own AI. That also comes with a full 2TB of cloud storage. Just don’t save anything important only to that unless you plan on subscribing after the three months are up. Though when that expires, you do also get one free year of 100GB cloud storage with Google One. Get your Asus 14-inch Chromebook CX14 for just $149 at Best Buy before the price goes back up to $279. Right now, you’d be saving a whole $130, which is almost 50%. See at Best Buy

It's time to get busy bargain huntin' in the second-best time of the year—end of financial. I've scoured every store worth shopping in for the cheapest prices on the games worth caring about. I'm also all about hooking you up with the occasional free game. Check back tomorrow for yet more deals, as this list is a living one!This Day in Gaming 🎂Aussie bdays for notable games- Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (DC) 2000. Get- Monster Hunter Freedom (PSP) 2006. eBay- Rockstar Table Tennis (X360) 2006. Get- Urban Chaos: Riot Response (PS2,XB) 2006. eBay- Blur (PC,PS3,X360) 2010. eBay- Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS) 2011. eBayContentsNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOHeadphonesTVsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch players shouldn’t miss Sea of Stars (A$33.10), a love letter to SNES-era RPGs scored in part by Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Also worth grabbing is Zombie Army Trilogy (A$7.80), which lets you snipe Hitler’s undead minions. Because apparently that’s a thing.Sea of Stars (-35%) - A$33.10Rune Factory 5 (-50%) - A$37.30Sonic Colors: Ult. (-18%) - A$49.00Zombie Army Trilogy (-85%) - A$7.80Lego Harry Potter Col. (-80%) - A$8.90Expiring Recent DealsLego Skywalker Saga (-80%) - A$17.90Dead Cells (-50%) - A$18.70Jurassic World Evolution: Comp. Ed. (-80%) - A$16.90Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 (-84%) - A$4.70Blasphemous (-75%) - A$9.30Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Back to topExciting Bargains for XboxOver on Xbox Series X, Metro 2033 Redux is gloriously free and based on a Russian novel whose author let readers vote on major plot points in its early web-published form. Wild Hearts (A$29.60), meanwhile, is EA and Koei Tecmo’s crack at a Monster Hunter-style experience, complete with buildable contraptions mid-battle.Metro 2033 Redux (-100%) - A$0.00Wild Hearts (-73%) - A$29.60Seagate Expansion 1TB (-32%) - A$209.30Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Sniper Elite Resistance (-21%) - A$79.00Xbox OneCyberpunk 2077 (-60%) - A$35.90It Takes Two (-65%) - A$20.90Halo: The Master Chief Col. (-75%) - A$14.90Expiring Recent DealsDoom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Hot Wheels Unleashed (-29%) - A$39UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Halo Infinite (-67%) - A$32.90Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24No Man's Sky (-60%) - A$35.90Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-60%) - A$29.90Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-90%) - A$10Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box?Back to topPure Scores for PlayStationPlayStation 5 users can score Persona 5 Royal (A$59.90), the definitive edition of a game whose dev team spent years mapping Tokyo’s train schedules to make the daily-life sim feel real. Or opt for Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (A$59), a cult favourite originally directed by Warren Spector, best known for Deus Ex.Ghost of Yōtei (-21%) - A$99Lego Horizon Adventures (-15%) - A$93.20Dragon Age: The Veilguard (-65%) - A$38.20Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Leg. Ed. (-44%) - A$100.60Persona 5 Royal (-37%) - A$59.90Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (-41%) - A$59PS4GTA Trilogy Def. (-76%) - A$24Dark Souls Trilogy (-33%) - A$64EA Sports FC 25 (-36%) - A$69Expiring Recent DealsDualSense Chroma Indigo (-12%) - A$109.90Doom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Tales of Arise (-69%) - A$31NBA 2K25 (-72%) - A$34Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24Red Dead Redemption (-48%) - A$39Octopath Traveler II (-32%) - A$57.70The Yakuza Rem. Col. (-26%) - A$40.30PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.Back to topPurchase Cheap for PCFinally, on PC, both Thief II: The Metal Age and 40K Gladius: Relics of War are completely free. One pioneered stealth gameplay in the year 2000, the other lets you wage unrelenting war as the Astra Militarum. Not bad for zero bucks.GOG FPS Sale (≤85%) -Thief II: The Metal Age (-100%) - FREE w/ Prime40K Gladius: Relics of War (-100%) - FREERed Dead 2 (-76%) - A$22Mafia Trilogy (-82%) - A$17.90Expiring Recent DealsSifu (-100%) - FREEGigapocalypse (-100%) - FREEDeliver At All Costs (-100%) - FREEHogwarts Legacy Del. (-79%) - A$21.20Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard (-23%) - A$137Metaphor: ReFantazio (-30%) - A$80.40Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Laptop DealsLenovo ThinkPad P14s G5 (-29%) – A$1,855.23Lenovo ThinkPad P16s G2 (-29%) – A$1,946.23Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 (-29%) – A$1,483.46Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 16" (-28%) – A$1,539LenovoYoga Pro 7 14" AMD (-35%) – A$1,699Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50a G5 27" AIO (-47%) – A$1,379Lenovo neo 50q G4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t G5 Tower (-20%) – A$871.20Legion Tower 5i G8 (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsSamsung QE50T 50" (-31%) – A$596ARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsMSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48Storage DealsSeagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90Back to topLegit LEGO DealsBotanticaal Cherry Blossoms (-35%) - A$15Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 (-27%) - A$219City Off-Road 4x4 (-27%) - A$22Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (-27%) - A$22Expiring Recent DealsMario Kart – Yoshi (-25%) - A$15The Mighty Bowser (-14%) - A$345Star Wars R2-D2 (-30%) - A$139Star Wars Home One Starcruiser (-19%) - A$89Back to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessEPOS 1061T ANC Headset (-41%) – A$446Jabra Evolve 20SE (-36%) – A$95Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Nintendo has shaken up how it treats your digital game purchases. It's now calling those virtual game cards, and it hopes to make it easier for you to share your games across multiple Switch systems. You can even let friends and family members borrow a game you've purchased from the eShop so they can play it on their own Switch. Getting things set up is a slightly complex process, but in most cases, you'll only need to do the tricky stuff once. In any case, we're here to help. The virtual game card system went live on the console on April 30 when Nintendo rolled out a major update. The Nintendo Switch 2 (which arrives on June 5) will support virtual game card lending and borrowing as well. Virtual game cards also include any of a game's associated DLC (i.e. extra downloadable content) that you've acquired. If you haven't tried out this way of letting your kid, partner or roommate jump into a Switch game you're not currently playing, sharing a virtual game card is a pretty simple process. We'll break down how to do that before explaining how to use virtual game cards across two of your own Switch consoles. When it comes to lending and borrowing virtual game cards, there are a number of caveats you'll need to be aware of. Sadly, a casual internet acquaintance who lives on the other side of the country won't be able to borrow a game from your Switch. The virtual game card system is designed for sharing games between friends and family — you'll need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to make the transfer. To wit, you can only lend out a virtual game card to another member of your Nintendo Account family group. Both Switch systems will also need to be connected to the same wireless network at the time a game is lent and borrowed. You can lend out a game for 14 days at a time. While a game of yours is loaned out, you won't be able to play it on your own Switch. However, if you do decide you want to hop back into that title, you can recall it at any time (which is, perhaps, a way to show a misbehaving child the consequences of their actions). Let's run through the other key virtual game card lending provisos in bullet points: You can lend out as many as three virtual game cards at a time. A borrower can only take one game at a time, and they can't borrow from multiple users simultaneously. Similarly, you can only lend out one virtual game card to a given console at any time. If a Switch has users that belong to different family groups, it won't be able to borrow any virtual game cards. Got all of that? Cool. Let's jam through how to actually lend and borrow virtual game cards on the Nintendo Switch. How to set up Switch systems to share virtual game cards Sam Rutherford for Engadget Before you actually get started with lending and borrowing virtual game cards, there are a few things you'll have to do. First, make sure your system software is up to date. You can check that's the case by going to the Switch home screen, then System Settings > System > System Update. If your Switch isn't running the latest system software, it will start the update process. Otherwise, you're golden. Next, as mentioned, you'll need to make sure the Switch systems that are going to exchange virtual game cards are on the same wireless network. Once you've taken care of that, it's time to ensure the consoles are in the same Nintendo Account family group, if you haven't already done so. (A family group can include up to eight account holders, and a role-based system allows for parental controls.) Slightly annoyingly, you can't add a Nintendo Account to a family group from Switch consoles as things stand. You'll have to set things up on Nintendo's website. First, sign in to the Nintendo Account that will be the admin for the family group (only one account can be an admin per family group). From there, select "Family group" then either "Add a member" or, if you haven't set up a family group yet, "Create family group." To invite an existing Nintendo Account holder to a family group, first click the "Invite someone to your family group" option (or go through the process of setting one up for a child aged 12 or younger, if that's who you're adding). Of course, if the person you want to invite to a family group doesn't yet have a Nintendo Account, they'll need to set one up. Next, you'll need to read a disclaimer about only adding people you know to a family group and then what will happen if either your account or theirs is banned (spoiler, it won't be a good thing!). After you've agreed to the disclaimer and clicked Confirm, you'll be prompted to enter the email address linked to the Nintendo Account you want to add to the family group. Click Submit when you're done. The person you're inviting to the family group will receive an email. They'll need to click the verification link, sign into their Nintendo Account if necessary and click "Join family group." After that person has joined the family group, the admin can assign them a role. Phew, okay. All of the hard/annoying stuff is out of the way. Save for connecting to the same wireless network, you should only have to do all of that stuff once to make sure a pair of Switch consoles is ready to use virtual game cards. Now for the fun part. How to lend and borrow virtual game cards on Nintendo Switch Nintendo For the sake of clarity, let's call the system that's lending a virtual game card Switch A. We'll refer to the device that's borrowing a game as Switch B (calling them Switch 1 and Switch 2 would have made things more confusing!). Go to the Virtual Game Cards option on the Switch A home screen, then select the user that's linked to your Nintendo Account. At this point, you'll need to enter your password or a PIN if you've enabled the user verification setting. Pick the game you want to lend out from your library of virtual game cards then to go Lend to Family Group Member > Select Select a User to Lend To. Select the person you'd like to receive the game, and then click on Lend. After that, it's the recipient's turn to act. On the Switch B, access Virtual Game Cards from the home screen. Choose the user profile for the person that's receiving the game, and enter the PIN or password if necessary. Then choose the Borrow option. After that, the virtual game card should start downloading, then you'll be able to play! You only need to be connected to the same wireless network when you're actively lending and borrowing ("loading" or "ejecting" to use Nintendo's terms for it) a virtual game card. You don't necessarily have to be online to play a game once it's on your Switch. Nintendo has a help article that should help you address any error messages you encounter as part of the process. Returning a virtual game card (perhaps so you can borrow a different one from Switch A) is straightforward too. Go to Virtual Game Cards from the home screen, select the relevant user profile, enter the password or PIN if need be. Go to the game, select Return to Family Group Member and then click Return. This is all perhaps a little more complicated than it has to be. It probably would have been easier for the Switch B user to receive a notification when Switch A lends a game out to them. Still, the process should be simple enough to run through, especially after you get the hang of it. How to use virtual game cards across two Switch units Nintendo One other thing you can do with virtual game cards is freely swap them between two of your own Switch consoles, even if one is in sleep mode. Maybe you have a Switch docked in your living room and a Switch Lite you take on the go. This system could be useful in that case. As ever, other users of a Switch console can play any game or DLC that's installed on the system through their own profile. To swap virtual game cards from one Switch to another, you first need to link them. First, bring the system that you can already install virtual game cards on (Switch A, we'll call it) and the other one (Switch B) in close proximity to one another and connect them to the internet. Make sure your Nintendo Account is linked to a user on Switch B as well. On Switch B, choose Virtual Game Cards from the home screen, then the user that's linked to your Nintendo Account (again, you'll need to enter a password or PIN if you have user verification on). Choose a virtual game card that you'd like to add to the Switch B, then go to Load on This System > Next > Systems Are Close Enough (once you've ensured both consoles are within close proximity). Next, return to Switch A. Again, do the virtual game cards > user linked to the same Nintendo Account > password/PIN (if necessary) deal. You'll then see a message about linking to another console. Select the Link option to enable this. After the linking process is wrapped up, click the OK button. You'll also need to click on Load on This System if such a prompt pops up to load the virtual game card you picked earlier onto Switch B. And that's it! After that, you don't need to keep the consoles in close proximity to each other to load virtual game cards onto either system. Bear in mind that only two consoles can be linked at a time for this purpose. To set up another console as a new Switch B (we're still calling it that for the sake of clarity), go through the same setup process again on that device. Partway through, you'll see a message on the new Switch B telling you that you already linked two consoles for the purpose of loading virtual game cards. After you read the information about that (and assuming that linking a different Switch is what you want to do), select Unlink next to the console that you want to unlink. Click this button again to confirm. If you want to play digital Switch games across more than two consoles (perhaps you have one in your den, another in the bedroom and a third at a vacation home?), you may need to use a different method called the online license feature. Nintendo has a help article that'll walk you through how to set that up. With either method, there is a significant factor you'll need to take into account. Save data isn't automatically shared across each system, so you can't simply start playing a game on one Switch and continue where you left off on another. To do that, you'll need to transfer the data manually, either by having the two consoles in close proximity to each other or via the cloud if you're a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber. How to hide virtual game cards on your Nintendo Switch The Nintendo Switch has been around for over eight years. That's a long time! Over that period, you may have amassed a large collection of digital games, perhaps making it increasingly difficult to find what you're looking for. Thankfully, there's an option to hide (and unhide) virtual game cards in your collection. To hide one, go to Virtual Game Cards on the Switch home screen and choose the user that's linked to your Nintendo Account. Highlight the game or DLC you'd like to hide, select Options and then Hide twice to mask that title from your library. To view a hidden virtual game card, repeat those first two steps, then scroll down and choose the Can't Find Software? option. From here, you'll see a prompt to View Hidden Virtual Game Cards. Pick this and you'll see the full list of hidden game cards. You can unhide a virtual game card from this section too. Select the particular game, then choose Options and Unhide. It will then appear back alongside your regular library of virtual game cards. A game card isn't exactly useless while it's hidden. You can still download the associated game onto your Switch while a card is hidden or lend it out to others in your family group.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-use-nintendo-switch-virtual-game-cards-201046520.html?src=rss

Memorial Day weekend invites important questions like what to marinate the kebobs in, whether it’s warm enough to put the pool up or not, and which new game you should buy while continuing to ignore your backlog. The Switch eShop currently has a few sales running that are worth a quick peek while waiting for the 45 minutes of coming attractions ahead of Mission Impossible 8 to end.Suggested ReadingFallout Season 2 Teaser Confirms Lucy and Ghoul are Heading to New Vegas Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingFallout Season 2 Teaser Confirms Lucy and Ghoul are Heading to New Vegas Share SubtitlesOffEnglishIf you’re looking at physical Switch games, there are a few good deals going around at the moment. Advance Wars 1 and 2 Re-Boot Camp is currently just $30 at GameStop (half off) while Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is just $40 (33 percent off) at Amazon. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Catherine: Full Body, and Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster are all heavily discounted as well at VGP. Meanwhile, in the digital world of the eShop, the following games are all great and pretty cheap right now:Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - $20 (50 percent off)It Takes Two - $20 (50 percent off) Tales of Kenzera: ZAU - $8 (60 percent off) Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak Deluxe - $20 (71 percent off) Dead Cells - $12.50 (50 percent off) Penny’s Big Breakaway - $15 (50 percent off) Doom 2016 - $4 (80 percent off)The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Complete Edition - $15 (75 percent off)Rayman Legends Definitive Edition - $8 (80 percent off)The Witcher 3 port is just short of ugly on Switch, but if you have no other way to play the grim fantasy RPG it’s well worth picking up, especially on the game’s 10th anniversary. Doom 2016 runs and looks better, and should help sate the urge to rip and tear for Nintendo fans who can’t access Doom: The Dark Ages. If you just want a fun, colorful throwback to pass the time, my suggestion is Penny’s Big Breakaway, one of last year’s great unsung Dreamcast 3D platformer homages. There are two other Switch games that are only slightly on sale but might be of interest. The Chrono Trigger-like Sea of Stars is currently $22.75 (around 30 percent off), but just got a big free Throes of the Watchmaker DLC that adds a new eight-hour quest, additional character, and more classes. Labyrinth of the Demon King, meanwhile, is a lo-fi horror dungeon crawler that just came out last week and is already turning heads. It’s $16 this week (20 percent off). If you’re interested in what might end up on the list of 2025's most overlooked games, I’d give this one a shot. .

Game Dev Digest Issue #283 - Retro, Graphics Tricks, Multiplayer, and more posted in GameDevDigest Newsletter Published May 23, 2025 Advertisement This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.comEnjoy!“ZLinq”, a Zero-Allocation LINQ Library for .NET - I’ve released ZLinq v1 last month! By building on structs and generics, it achieves zero allocations. It includes extensions like LINQ to Span, LINQ to SIMD, LINQ to Tree (FileSystem, JSON, GameObject, etc.), a drop-in replacement Source Generator for arbitrary types, and support for multiple platforms including .NET Standard 2.0, Unity, and Godot.neuecc.medium.comPathfinding - I've recently been working on the pathfinding for NPCs in my game, which is something I've been looking forward to for a while now since it's a nice chunky problem to solve. I thought I'd write up this post about how I went about it all.juhrjuhr.itch.ioMy Work at Unity - I worked as a developer at Unity Technologies from 2009 to 2020. When I started, there were around 20 employees worldwide and Unity was still largely unknown. When I left, there were over 3000 employees and Unity had become the most widely used game engine in the industry.runevision.comIndie Game Marketing Examples: Campaigns We Loved - From Crabs to Chess: Creative marketing lessons from indie game campaigns that really worked!impress.gamesMaking Video Games in 2025 (without an engine) - I genuinely believe making games without a big "do everything" engine can be easier, more fun, and often less overhead. I am not making a "do everything" game and I do not need 90% of the features these engines provide. I am very particular about how my games feel and look, and how I interact with my tools.noelberry.caWelcome to Unity Design Patterns - Examples of programming design patterns in Unity C#NaphierPalette lighting tricks on the Nintendo 64 - Below I have some notes on the directional ambient and normal mapping techniques I developed. They are both pretty simple in the end but I haven’t seen them used elsewhere.30fps.netCan Itch.io Success Translate To Steam Success? - In my previous blog I looked at the stats for an itch.io game and what an over performing game looked like. Today I want to deep dive on a couple games that took their early itch.io success and parlayed it onto Steam with varied results.howtomarketagame.comWork with strings efficiently, keep the GC alive - This tip is not meant for everyone. If your code is simple, and not CPU-heavy, this tip might be overkill for your code, as it's about extremely heavy operations, where performance is crucial.old.reddit.comIndie Survival Guide - ProductsThe Indie Survival Guide is your ongoing archive of real talk and hard-won insights from the devs and industry experts making games happen—often against the odds. Whatever tools you’re using, this growing library of Q&As, livestreams, and VODs is here to help. There’s no magic formula, but we believe shared experience—across design, business, and survival—can give you the best shot.Unity VideosMultiplayer Systems in 10 Minutes/1 Hour/1 Day | Clocked and Loaded - Unity Developer Advocate Esteban Maldonado shows us how he scales multiplayer systems based on time constraints and how his approach differs depending on the circumstances.UnityFrom States to Trees: How Behavior Trees Revolutionized Game AI - In this final video of our NPC evolution series, we explore how Behavior Trees transformed game AI. Moving beyond the limitations of Finite State Machines, Behavior Trees introduced hierarchical decision-making that allowed NPCs to evaluate complex situations, prioritize actions, and respond intelligently to player choices.Mindplay with AaronInside Doom: The Dark Ages - Creating id Tech 8 - Interview With id Software - Want to know more about Doom: The Dark Ages and the technical make-up of the new id Tech 8? John Linneman has this extensive interview with id Software's Director of Engine Technology, Billy Khan. Every key aspect of the new technology is discussed here, along with answers to key questions like why The Dark Ages simply isn't possible without hardware accelerated ray tracing.Digital FoundryLet's Fix Unity's Animator - Let's fix the missing animation preview in Unity's Animator!Warped ImaginationWhy Did Older Games Feel So Much Bigger? - The evolution of game design has taken an interesting turn, where modern level design often feels more constrained despite technological advances. While retro games created vast worlds with limited resources, today's AAA games sometimes sacrifice that sense of wonder for visual fidelity.Devin ChaseMind-blowing graphical tricks in classic games - Your questions answered! | White_Pointer Gaming - It's time to answer even more viewer questions about how classic games achieved their graphical tricks! This video includes not just Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo games, but Neo Geo as well. Plus the big one that you might have been waiting for - Final Fantasy VI / Final Fantasy III! What mindblowing tricks will be unveiled this time?White_Pointer GamingJetBrains AI Assistant Just Got a Lot More Useful (and FREE) - JetBrains AI Assistant, improved in version 2025.1 with enhanced context awareness and deeper IDE integration, brings intelligent code generation, inline prompts, and web-enhanced context directly into our workflow. Together, we’ll explore how it uses these upgrades to incorporate external knowledge into its suggestions as we refactor a simple C# class into a clean and reusable programming pattern—then save that refactoring as a custom prompt for future use.git-amend AssetsLevel Up: 5K World Building Assets Bundle - Build the game of your dreams in any setting or scenario with our Level Up: 5K World Building Assets Bundle.__The Supreme Unreal & Unity Game Dev Bundle - Dive into an asset collection that offers the widest range of stylized towns, buildings, and more with The Supreme Unreal & Unity Game Dev Bundle! Save time and money by accessing this library of 50+ asset sets, ranging from medieval Viking villages to deserted military outposts—specific standouts include Whispering Grove Environment and Asian Dynasty Environment. Get the assets you need to help bring your game to life, and help support the charity of your choice with your purchase!Humble Bundle AffiliatePoiyomiToonShader - A feature rich toon shader for unity and VR Chatpoiyomi Open SourceAPFrameworkUI - A Text Mesh Pro based text only UI system for Unitydklassic Open SourceUnityProcgen - Library of procedural generation code for use in Unitycoryleach Open SourceGeneLit - GeneLit is an alternative to standard shader for Unity built-in pipeline.momoma-null Open Sourcebarelymusician - a real-time music engine.anokta Open SourceColliderMeshTool - Generate custom mesh colliders in Unity with hulls or hand-drawn outlines.SinlessDevil Open SourceGraphlit - Custom node shader editor for Unityz3y Open SourceEasy Peasy First Person Controller (FREE) - Easy Peasy First Person Controller is a user-friendly, ready-to-use first-person controller for Unity. It provides a wide range of customizable features for seamless integration into your game.assetstore.unity.com AffiliateUnityInGameConsole - A powerful Command Line Processor and log viewer for Unity. It can be run in the editor or in a built out player for any platform, allowing you to see your log and callstacks in you final product, without having to search for unity log files.ArtOfSettling Open SourceDescant - An enhanced and user-friendly Unity dialogue system pluginOwmacohe Open Sourceposition-visualizer - Unity editor tool to visualize positions in the scene.mminer Open SourceLua-CSharp - High performance Lua interpreter implemented in C# for .NET and Unitynuskey8 Open SourceUnityNativeFilePicker - A native Unity plugin to import/export files from/to various document providers on Android & iOSyasirkula Open Sourceusyrup - A runtime dependency injection framework for the Unity Game Engine!Jeffan207 Open SourceUnityIngameDebugConsole - A uGUI based console to see debug messages and execute commands during gameplay in Unityyasirkula Open SourceContentManagementSystem - CMS based on XK's realization for unitymegurte Open SourceIsoMesh - IsoMesh is a group of related tools for Unity for converting meshes into signed distance field data, raymarching signed distance fields, and extracting signed distance field data back to meshes via surface nets or dual contouring.EmmetOT Open SourceNavigathena - Scene management framework for Unity. Provides a new generation of scene management.mackysoft Open SourceUI Cursors - UI for Mouse Cursors is a great start for the development journey you are looking for either testing or a finished game it offers a great variety. Animatable and make the game look alive!verzatiledev.itch.io25% Off Unity Asset Store - Get 25% off your next purchase—even on discounted assets! Use code TWXJ982ND at checkout and keep building something amazing. Limited to 5 redemptions.Unity AffiliateShop up to 50% off Kyeoms - Publisher Sale - I'm an individual game VFX artist. I'm interested in Cartoon style and Stylized VFX. PLUS, get New Stylized Explosion Package for FREE with code KYEOMS2025Unity AffiliateUltimate World Building Asset Bundle - Imagine it—build it—love it Elevate your next project with elite 3D assets, textures, references, and more from the Ultimate World Building Asset Bundle by ScansMatter—featuring 300 free commercial credits on ScansMatter.com, Rooftop Asset Kit, Office Environment Kit, and much more. This limited-time partnership with ScansMatter gives Humble Bundle members a unique opportunity to access countless professional-quality assets at a fraction of the price. Get the assets you need to bring your next visual project to life—and help support the World Wildlife Fund with your purchase!Humble Bundle AffiliateUnlock Pro 3D Modeling Skills With Blender - Software Bundle - Unlock awesome 3D tools for Blender__ SpotlightBrine - An upcoming boomer shooter from Studio Whalefall, a 3rd year university team from Falmouth's Games Academy.Slippery fishy enemies are attacking your quaint Cornish town, and it's up to one disgruntled fisherman to save the day. Fight your way through waves of local seafood and paint the town with red.[Get the demo on Itch.io]Studio WhalefalMy game, Call Of Dookie. Demo available on SteamYou can subscribe to the free weekly newsletter on GameDevDigest.comThis post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article. Comments Nobody has left a comment. You can be the first! You must log in to join the conversation. 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Thank your own personal deity--possibly The Outer Gods--it's Friday! Winter might be creeping in, but these weekend game deals are bringing the heat. Whether you’re a Switch slasher, a PlayStation purist, an Xbox adventurer or a PC power user, there’s something worth your clicks in this mix. Stock up for the weekend and I'll catch you Monday!This Day in Gaming 🎂In retro news, I’m celebrating the 19th birthday of Metroid Prime: Hunters while remembering the mild carpal tunnel it gave me. Developed for the newly minted DS, its standout innovation was the incorporation of stylus-driven aiming paired with six-player ad-hoc wireless multiplayer, allowing us hunters to engage in fast-paced, Phazon-fueled deathmatches on the go. By blending precision touchscreen controls with diverse character-specific abilities, it instantly sold me and my mates on the concept of portable, hyper-competitive first-person shooters. We had an absolute (morph) ball with it.Aussie bdays for notable games- Def Jam Vendetta (PS2) 2003. eBay- Rise of Nations (PC) 2003. eBay- Silent Hill 3 (PS2) 2003. eBay- Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS) 2006. eBay- Resident Evil Revelations (3DS) 2013. eBayContentsNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOHeadphonesTVsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchNintendo fans should keep an eye on Dead Cells (A$18.70), the rogue-lite hit that started life as a failed Metroidvania MMORPG. Developer Motion Twin scrapped the original concept and pivoted mid-production. Meanwhile, Blasphemous (A$9.30) stabs its way onto the scene with a brutal blend of Catholic iconography and Dark Souls inspiration. Such a gem.Lego Skywalker Saga (-80%) - A$17.90Dead Cells (-50%) - A$18.70Jurassic World Evolution: Comp. Ed. (-80%) - A$16.90Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 (-84%) - A$4.70Blasphemous (-75%) - A$9.30Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49Expiring Recent DealsHogwarts Legacy (-34%) - A$59Crypt of the NecroDancer (-80%) - A$6Yooka-Laylee (-80%) - A$6.50Guacamelee! Super Turbo Champ. Ed. (-75%) - A$5Lego Jurassic World (-90%) - A$5.90Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Back to topExciting Bargains for XboxOver on Xbox Series X, Halo Infinite (A$32.90) continues to carve out its redemption arc.. UFC 5 (A$39.00), on the other hand, had EA scanning fighters in full 360 capture tech, making every punch and grimace feel uncomfortably lifelike.Doom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Hot Wheels Unleashed (-29%) - A$39UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Halo Infinite (-67%) - A$32.90Xbox OneRed Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24No Man's Sky (-60%) - A$35.90Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-60%) - A$29.90Expiring Recent DealsResident Evil 4 (-47%) - A$31.40Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Mass Effect Leg. Ed. (-90%) - A$9.90TB Stealth Pivot Controller (-33%) - A$168.40Hogwarts Legacy (-55%) - A$49.00TB VelocityOne Flightstick (-18%) - A$205.60Grand Theft Auto V (-52%) - A$29.00Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-90%) - A$10.00Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box?Back to topPure Scores for PlayStationPlayStation 5 players get a win with Tales of Arise (A$31.00), which features a physics system that ensures characters' hair and capes flutter just right. Pair that with NBA 2K25 (A$34.00), where cover athlete animations were mocapped using a team of real streetballers for added flair.DualSense Chroma Indigo (-12%) - A$109.90Doom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Tales of Arise (-69%) - A$31NBA 2K25 (-72%) - A$34Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39PS4Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24Red Dead Redemption (-48%) - A$39Octopath Traveler II (-32%) - A$57.70The Yakuza Rem. Col. (-26%) - A$40.30Expiring Recent DealsElden Ring: Nightreign (-9%) - A$64.00Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (-19%) - A$89.00Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. Ed. (-20%) - A$84.00Monster Hunter Wilds (-26%) - A$89.00Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (-73%) - A$26.80Bayonetta (-75%) - A$9.40Catherine: Full Body (-80%) - A$10.90PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.Back to topPurchase Cheap for PCToday, PC players should snap up Sifu while it’s free. This martial arts revenge tale actually aged its protagonist in real-time for every failed attempt, a mechanic inspired by classic kung fu film tropes. And Hogwarts Legacy: Deluxe (A$21.20) hides an early design doc reference to a planned “wizarding gig economy” system that was mercifully scrapped.Sifu (-100%) - FREEGigapocalypse (-100%) - FREEDeliver At All Costs (-100%) - FREEHogwarts Legacy Del. (-79%) - A$21.20Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard (-23%) - A$137Metaphor: ReFantazio (-30%) - A$80.40Expiring Recent DealsRed Dead Redemption 2 (-75%) - A$22.40Hogwarts Legacy (-75%) - A$22.40Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (-50%) - A$29.90Assassin's Creed Valhalla (-75%) - A$22.40Maneater (-80%) - A$11.30Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Laptop DealsHP Envy x360 16" 2-in-1 (-39%) – A$1,399HP Laptop 15.6" Ryzen (-34%) – A$1,049ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-35%) – A$869Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 (-41%) – A$1,229Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-16%) – A$2,094Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50q Gen 4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t Gen 5 Desk (-20%) – A$871.20Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsMSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48Storage DealsSeagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90Back to topLegit LEGO DealsMario Kart – Yoshi (-25%) - A$15.00The Mighty Bowser (-14%) - A$345.00Star Wars R2-D2 (-30%) - A$139.00Star Wars Home One Starcruiser (-19%) - A$89.00Expiring Recent DealsMandalorian Moff Gideon Battle (-42%) - A$35.00Space Construction Mech (-33%) - A$10.00Fountain Garden Building (-28%) - A$129.90Williams Racing & Haas F1 Race Cars (-27%) - A$22.00Back to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessGalaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.