A series of leaked images corroborated by Video Games Chronicle appear to have given us our first look at Nintendo’s next console.
That platform, which is colloquially known as the Nintendo Switch 2, has been rumored for a long time and is going to be revealed before the end of this fiscal year. The Nintendo Switch 2 appears to be in full production now, and some images and specs of what appear to be a factory prototype of it appeared on a Chinese website, as spotted by r/gamingleaksandrumours. It features a mix of real-life photos and CAD mock-ups of the Nintendo Switch 2.
The leaked photos show hardware that looks quite similar to the original Nintendo Switch. The biggest differences are a larger screen, previously rumored magnetic Joy-Cons with large SL/SR buttons, and USB-C ports on the top and bottom of the console.
A summary of today's alleged Switch 2 images 'leak'. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/Z4rfSGz4WQ
— Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) September 18, 2024
A more in-depth specs leak also suggests that the console will have 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, both of which are notable improvements from the original. VGC claims it has a source who says this leak lines up with what Nintendo has told development partners to expect from the console. VGC also heard that the console could use a LCD screen rather than an OLED one to keep its price down, but that has not been confirmed by this leak or Nintendo yet.
As far as gaming leaks go, it does seem very plausible that this is an accurate representation of what the Nintendo Switch 2 will look like. Still, Nintendo has not revealed anything yet, so these images and information should be viewed with soime skepticism. Some people are already speculating that the CAD renders of the console, in particular, are fake.
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.