Ahead of this morning Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, manufacturer Dbrand has opened reservations on the console’s first third-party accessory. The Killswitch is a case for Nintendo’s new console that comes with an open dock adapter, a travel cover, and ergonomic Joy-con holders.
The Killswitch is a variation on Dbrand’s Steam Deck case, which soups up Valve’s handheld. The company has been teasing a similar device for Switch 2 since December, even leaking the system’s design before Nintendo could reveal it. Over 10,000 users have signed up for the device’s waitlist since then, but they can formally reserve it starting today.
Set to release in June (seemingly scooping Nintendo’s release window ahead of its official reveal this morning), the Killswitch is a black case that the Nintendo Switch 2 can slot into. The biggest modification it adds is ergonomic grips for the system’s Joy-cons. The controllers can still be dethatched as normal while in the case and presumably will still work with the system’s new mouse-like feature.
The case around the rest of the system is compatible with the Switch 2’s kickstand, retaining its full articulation.
Other features include an open-faced dock that functions more like the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma and a transparent travel cover that can attach to the front of the system. As an added bonus, the Killswitch also comes with a game card holder that can hold 10 Switch cartridges (that seems to imply that the console will use the same style of cartridges). That holder snaps underneath the travel cover, allowing players to display their games while the cover is on.
While no price has been revealed, those who are interested can reserve their unit starting today on Dbrand’s website. You’ll have to put down a $3 deposit to reserve one, which is credited towards the final purchase and fully refundable.
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.