July is the perfect time to go on vacation or even just take a trip to the park, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your video games at home. The Nintendo Switch gives you home console quality on the go, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the perfect first game to play. At Kohl’s right now, you can get a great deal on the Switch, game, and accessories, and get a heaping pile of Kohl’s Cash on top of it. Though GameStop is also having a massive sale you should look into.
The bundle currently available on the Kohl’s website — it isn’t available in stores — includes a standard Nintendo Switch console, a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Game Traveler Deluxe carrying case, and two Joy-Con wheel controller shells. These are typically sold in a bundle for $389, but have been bumped down to $359. With Amazon’s Prime Day quickly approaching, there’s no need to wonder why this price cut was made.
Alongside the sale price, you’ll also get $105 in Kohl’s Cash, which you can use between July 12 and July 27. That’s enough to purchase an additional game on Kohl’s website, such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Super Mario Odyssey. Kohl’s selection of individual games is limited, but you can’t go wrong with anything it has for sale.
You can also get additional Joy-Con controllers, and because only one Joy-Con is needed to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this will let four friends race against each other. For younger players, the Nintendo Labo Robot Kit is also available, featuring a building project as well as the software you’ll need to use your final “robot” suit.
It’s very rare that the Nintendo Switch is offered in any sort of sale, so even though Kohl’s might not be the first retailer that comes to mind when you hear “video games,” this is definitely an offer to consider. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also happens to be one of the best games on the system, offering a great single-player experience, exciting local multiplayer, and online competitive races for the most dedicated players. Unlike the original Wii U release, the Switch version includes all DLC by default, and it’s the perfect game to pull out during a party.
Looking for more gaming deals? We’ve found Nintendo Switch deals, Xbox One bundles, and more ahead of Prime Day.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.