The Morning After: The Switch 2 is out!

After years of rumors, months of hype and weeks of anticipation, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been released into the world. If you successfully pre-ordered a model, then well done, and if you haven't snagged one yet, fear not. We've got literally tens of pages giving you all of the important info, so you can prepare and / or glower covetously at your screen. That includes Sam Rutherford's detailed preview filling you in on all the details , plus answering if you really need to buy one so soon after launch. The team has also cranked out this list of key questions about all the hardware and software changes in a console they do not call Le Switch Deux in France. If, after reading all of that, you decide to throw your money at the screen, we've also got a rundown of which retailers are selling .
I'll be honest, I nearly joined the pre-order scrum the moment it was announced but opted not to for a couple of reasons. First, I don't have the time or opportunity to game enough to need to get a console on day one. Second, I don't think I've yet wrestled all the entertainment out of the first-generation Switch. And third, the pain of buying a new console is always in the two- or three-year wait before its games library is muscular enough for it to be worth your while. Which is why I'll be joining many of you in glowering covetously at the screen, at least for the next year.
— Dan Cooper
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Sonos is discounting a number of its speakers through June 15, including its Era 300 smart speaker. You can pick it up for just $359, $90 less than you'd normally spend, and it comes with the usual suite of Sonos tricks in its back pocket . Like its automatic tuning feature, Trueplay, integration with Siri and Alexa and (admittedly) hit-and-miss spatial audio.
Continue Reading. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Devindra Hardawar has played with AMD's new Radeon RX 9060 XT for long enough and now he's ready to share the details. The GPU is AMD's cheaper alternative to NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti, available for $300 with 8GB RAM and $350 if you opt for 16GB . There are compromises, like slower RAM and limited support for FSR AI upscaling, but they're tolerable. Especially when the majority of gamers are playing in 1440p and don't need to break the bank for a 4K card.
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Samsung is teasing a new Ultra model, sharing little beyond an animation suggesting it'll sit in the body of a Galaxy Z Fold. In a terse blog post, the company said the handset will use AI for all sorts of tasks in your life , optimized to suit the foldable form factor. Given the Z Fold is already the company's most ultra premium of ultra-premium devices, it'll be interesting to see just how much cash you'll have to spend to own one of these yourself.
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X is testing a feature that will ask users what they think of specific posts and how it makes them feel. The hope is to use that information to train an algorithm to surface content liked by users from all parts of the political spectrum . It's an interesting idea, but given X has been forcing folks with perspectives different from its new owner to leave for blueier or threadier pastures, it might not be as effective as it would have been two years ago.
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Engadget

6 hours ago

• Engadget

How to buy the Nintendo Switch 2: Latest stock updates at Target, Best Buy, Walmart and more

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been available in the US for more than two weeks — but good luck finding one. While millions of people have been able to snag the $450 console since it officially went up for sale on June 5, online inventory dried up fairly quickly at most stores soon after launch and remains difficult to find today. Target and Best Buy restocked shortly after launch, but those didn't last long, and the latter required in-store pickup. You may also be able to grab a bundle at Costco if you're a member there. Otherwise, it's been slim pickings. As of today, we're not seeing any availability — though you may have different luck in your locality when checking inventory, online or in person. To that latter point, people had a bit more luck on launch week by venturing to a physical retail store. We can't guarantee you'll still be able to snag a Switch 2 the old-fashioned way, but it's worth checking if a local Target, Best Buy, Walmart or GameStop — the four official retailers Nintendo lists on its store page — still has consoles in stock. For now, you can skip Amazon, though: For whatever reason, the biggest online retailer doesn't even have a product page for the Switch 2 (but it does seem to be selling games and accessories). All that said, if you're still on the hunt, we've rounded up all of the latest information we could find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up. Walmart began online purchases at midnight ET on June 5. Currently, both the Mario Kart World bundle and the standalone console are "available" via third-party retailers, but listed for much higher than their standard $500 and $450 price tags — with limited quantities available. We wouldn't recommend buying these; instead, wait for the console to be listed at its regular MSRP. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations, though the company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location. Best Buy started selling the Switch 2 at its retail locations on June 5. It previously said it wouldn't sell the handheld at its online store during launch week, but it made additional consoles available on June 11 around 12PM ET. That restock lasted for the better part of an hour and required in-store pickup, but the device is now sold out again. Target had the Switch 2 in stores on June 5 and restocked its online inventory for at least a couple of hours starting around 3:30AM ET on June 6. It then had another restock on June 12 around 2:30PM ET, but that appears to have died out in less than an hour. It still looks to be fully sold out as we write this, but you should see if there's any stock at the stores closest to you just to be safe. GameStop has advertised in-store availability, though exactly how much stock your local store may have will vary by location. Online, the device has been unavailable for the past week, with the listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle now pointing to a "Find a Store" page. We saw a $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World , a microSD Express card and a few other accessories pop up a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, but it's no longer listed (and it was kind of a raw deal anyway). You may still have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since launch day. Sam's Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well, though it's out of stock now. We also saw the console at BJ's early on June 5, but it's no longer live there. Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on launch day, but that's dried up, and only those with Verizon service were able to order. Amazon hasn't had any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor has it listed Mario Kart World . The company didn't take pre-orders for the Switch 2 either, so it's unclear if and when it will sell the device. You can, however, find some Switch 2 games. Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it's given no indication as to when it'll begin sales. It previous showed a couple listings from a third-party seller, but at massively inflated prices. With all of these stores, we've seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But given that Mario Kart is the Switch 2's biggest launch game and retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing. Nintendo, meanwhile, is only offering the Switch 2 via an invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can't hurt to sign up if you meet the criteria, but don't expect it to bear fruit immediately — it's taken weeks for many people who registered in April to receive their invite. You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second. Where to buy Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle: Where to buy Switch 2: Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, from its (pricey) Pro Controller to cases to cameras for the new GameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5. The same goes for games like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . Another big Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananza , won't be available until mid-July but is still up for pre-order now. As of this publication, just about all Switch 2 games are broadly available. Stock for the accessories remains a little spottier, but most devices are still available at multiple retailers. Nintendo's official Switch 2 carrying cases have been the main exceptions, so you may need to look to third-party alternatives if you want some protection for your console right away. Mario Kart World ($80) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Donkey Kong Bananza ($70) Nintendo Amazon Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Costco (membership required) Additional Switch 2 games Nintendo Amazon Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Amazon Joy-Con 2 bundle ($95) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 Pro Controller ($85) Switch 2 Camera ($55) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60) Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip ($40) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40) Nintendo (invite required) Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120) Nintendo GameCube Controller for Switch 2 ($65) Nintendo (Switch Online required)

Digital Trends

6 hours ago

• Digital Trends

You Asked: Best soundbars for Sony TVs and which budget Samsung QD-OLED should you choose?

On today's episode of You Asked: What's the best soundbar to pair with a Sony TV? Should you consider upgrading from the LG C3? Which Samsung QD-OLED offers the best value? And what's the best big-screen TV that won't break the bank? Best Soundbars for Your Sony TV Scott S asks: I just took the plunge and purchased the 77-inch Sony A95L to replace my 10-year-old Sony TV. Question is whether a good soundbar is worth it (assuming like a Sonos Arc) considering that I live in an apartment and the TV will only be about 10 feet away from the seating area. You have mentioned the great sound quality of the TV itself. Thanks for the question, Scott, and congrats on the new TV! The A95L is one of our all-time favorites. And while it does have solid sound quality, a top-tier TV like that deserves to be paired with something to elevate the listening experience and match the superior visuals. You mention the Sonos Arc, which is a great option, as is the Sonos Arc Ultra, which improves on an already great soundbar. I'd also say the Sonos Beam is worth taking a look at. It has a more subtle look that some prefer, but still packs the goods in terms of audio quality. I don't know how much you're looking to spend, but I'd also suggest the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, since you spared no expense on the TV purchase. The Theater Quad is not cheap, but it's a perfect pairing with your Sony TV and is well suited for your apartment. Sony's 360 Spatial Mapping does a great job dialing each speaker in based on placement. Plus, with its Acoustic Center Sync feature allowing the TV audio to act as the center channel, the Theater Quad is designed to handle odd placements throughout a room to give you the best immersive audio experience for watching shows and movies. It's also one of our favorite choices for music listening. If you want a more direct head-to-head comparison of the top choices between Sonos and Sony, we did a video on that not too long ago. You can also check out our best soundbars list. Upgrades from the LG C3 and Sony A80J? Nicolas Lacroix asks: I have had the pleasure of two OLED sets for a few years now: a Sony A80J and LG C3. What would be the upgrade path in 2025? What's going to look better? I want to go a bit bigger. My current sets are 55 inches and 65 inches, respectively. I'm also a latest gen console gamer. Talk about good problems to have — needing to upgrade your two OLED TVs. In terms of taking the next steps with two of the top TV brands, both known for outstanding picture quality, here are some options in case you're leaning one way or the other. On the Sony side, look at the Bravia 8 Mark II or the A95L. Coming from an A80J, both recommended options are equipped with QD-OLED panels, offering brighter, more vibrant, and pure colors. We've raved about the A95L to no end, and the Bravia 8 Mark II should only improve on it. However, since you mentioned wanting to go bigger than your 55-inch A80J, if you're looking at 65 inches or certainly 77, the price difference between the A95L and Bravia 8 Mark II is significant. The 65-inch A95L is currently on sale for $2,900, while the Bravia 8 Mark II sits at $4,000. Also, the Bravia 8 Mark II is not available above 65 inches. So if you're planning to purchase a pair of TVs, you might want to save where you can, and I'm not sure you'll see $1,200 worth of difference. Some even rate the A95L higher than its 'successor.' When it comes to gaming, the differences are tiny. Both have the same inputs: two HDMI 2.1 ports and two HDMI 2.0. Both support 4K 120Hz gaming and VRR with virtually zero difference in input lag. As for upgrading from your LG C3, that's still a great TV and just two years old. But if you must, I'd say jump past the C-series to the LG G5 to see a real, noticeable improvement worth spending thousands of dollars on. The four-stack OLED panel significantly improves brightness and color purity, taking the G5 beyond the already excellent G4. I mention the G4 because the new G5 costs a pretty penny, and the G4 is also a notable step up from your C3, just in case you want to save a bit. Both have four HDMI 2.1 inputs, plus a full slate of gaming features like 4K high refresh rates and VRR, making them great choices for gamers wanting to connect multiple consoles and audio devices. Samsung S95C vs. S90D: Which Should You Buy? @hermievanzyl9649 asks: For the same price, is the Samsung S95C or S90D a better option to buy and why? These are both excellent TVs. As someone who has a 2023 Samsung TV as their daily driver, I've come to love it — the picture quality holds up extremely well and the user interface is just as snappy as day one. When it comes to the two you mentioned, the S90D is a little brighter than the S95C and has slightly better picture processing. That's not saying the S95C is bad — far from it. Unless you put them side by side, I don't know if you'd notice a difference, and even then it's splitting hairs. The biggest difference is the One Connect Box that comes with the S95C. It lets you connect your external devices to the box instead of directly to the TV, giving you more flexibility with your setup, especially if your TV is hard to reach or mounted to the wall. So, if you want that setup versatility, go with the S95C. If you want slightly improved image quality, go with the S90D. I'll also say — when I saw this question, I thought, 'Where are they finding the S95C for that price right now?' Sure enough, there are a few places with it under $2,000. A solid deal for a QD-OLED, even if it's a 2023 model. Best Affordable Huge TVs Worth Buying? @Pimpincrispy1978 asks: What is the most affordable 98- to 100-inch TV that is still worth buying? I'm guessing Samsung Crystal UHD is a hard no? I'm looking for another TV that I can enjoy for another 10 years or so. Hey, you said it, not me. I'm going to go with a hard pass on the Crystal UHD, especially because Samsung has that DU9000 98-inch listed for $2,500 right now. For that money, you're still getting a pretty basic LED TV with basic HDR performance. For affordability, you should check out options from TCL and Hisense. The TCL QM6K is on sale for less than that Samsung, and you're getting a Quantum Dot Mini LED panel that supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos audio, and faster refresh rates. The QM7K only improves on that if you want to spend a bit more. The same goes for Hisense with the 100-inch U7 from 2024. It's on Amazon now for $1,900 and offers quantum dot color with full array local dimming, Dolby Vision and Atmos — the works. I know you're concerned with longevity, but I can't guarantee any TV will last 10 years. They should, and some will, depending on how much and how you use it. But I wouldn't pay more for a lesser TV just for a brand name.

Yahoo

7 hours ago

• Yahoo

3 Best Tech Stocks for the Second Half of 2025

Reddit's revenue stands at an incredible year-over-year growth rate of 61%. AMD's AI product improvements could inspire a new round of investor interest. Meta Platforms' decision to advertise on WhatsApp unlocks a new revenue stream. 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms › We're nearly halfway through 2025, and what a ride it's been for the stock market. As of this writing, the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Index are up 2%, up 1%, and down 1%, respectively, year to date. So, as attention turns to the second half of 2025, three contributing analysts have selected their top buys within the technology sector: Reddit (NYSE: RDDT), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD), and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Here's why. (Reddit): 2025 has been an up-and-down year for Reddit stock. As of this writing, it's down 13% year to date. However, the stock has been extremely volatile throughout the year. It's been up as much as 37% and down by almost 46%. So, obviously, Reddit isn't a stock for every investor or investment portfolio. That said, growth-oriented investors willing to hold for years might want to take the stock's recent volatility as an opportunity to accumulate shares. Reddit is a social media stock. It boasts more than 108 million daily average users and is growing fast. As of its most recent quarterly report (for the three months ended on March 31), the company's revenue growth stood at 61%. The company makes money through selling ad space, like its much larger social media rival, Meta Platforms. While Meta's ad ecosystem has existed for more than a decade and now draws in about a half-billion dollars per day, Reddit's ad ecosystem remains in its infancy. This creates a possibility for investors. Meta has already proven that the social media advertising model works -- and works very well. Meta has ridden that model to a staggering market capitalization of $1.7 trillion. Reddit, on the other hand, has a market cap of only $26 billion. In a move that mirrors Meta, Reddit recently announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ad tools into its network. This strategy could help marketers increase return on investment (ROI) by improving ad targeting and content. With its large, increasing user base and blistering revenue growth, there's every reason to think Reddit's long-term prospects remain bright -- and its stock price will rise. Will Healy (Advanced Micro Devices): On the surface, Advanced Micro Devices might look more like a second-quarter than a second-half stock. Since reaching an intra-day low of $76.48 per share on April 8, the stock has risen by approximately 65% over the last six weeks. However, that increase could be just the beginning of what is gearing up to be a second-half comeback. On June 12, AMD released its development pipeline for its AI accelerators through 2027. Investor interest coalesced around its MI400 GPU, which it plans to release sometime in 2026. The MI400 should significantly improve upon the recently released MI350, offering double the compute power, 50% more memory capacity, and 2.5 times the bandwidth. Such advancements are on track to close most of its competitive gap with Nvidia, though Nvidia will almost certainly counter with its own improvements. Additionally, AMD will integrate the MI400 with its Helios rack system. This rack system will combine the MI400 with AMD's upcoming Venice CPU and Pensando Vulcano NICs, providing AMD with a unified AI rack-scale infrastructure for modeling and inference. This is occurring as AMD has begun to benefit from accelerating revenue growth. In the first quarter of 2025, its data center and client (PC) segments grew revenue by 57% and 68%, respectively, while revenue for the gaming and embedded segments declined at a slower rate. Thus, the overall annual revenue growth of 36% in Q1 is significantly faster than the 14% yearly increase in 2024. Moreover, while AMD trades at a higher P/E ratio than Nvidia, improving profitability places its forward P/E ratio at 32, slightly below that of its larger rival. Furthermore, AMD's 7.5 price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is far below Nvidia's sales multiple of 24, likely making the stock more attractive to value-oriented investors. Admittedly, AMD continues to play catch-up in the AI accelerator market. Nonetheless, with the chip company closing the gap, that low P/S ratio could easily persuade investors to bid AMD stock higher as they anticipate the MI400's release. Justin Pope (Meta Platforms): Oftentimes, winners keep winning. Shares of social media giant Meta Platforms have primarily moved in an upward direction since 2023, but I like the stock's chances to continue its run over the second half of this year. Most investors already know that Meta Platforms is a beast in digital advertising. It makes virtually all of its revenue and profits from advertising to the 3.43 billion people who use its family of apps each day. What investors may not realize is that for years, Facebook and Instagram have carried the company's advertising water. Meta generated approximately $160.6 billion of its $164.5 billion in total revenue last year from ads placed in Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and third-party mobile apps. Missing from that list is WhatsApp, the wildly popular communications app with over 3 billion monthly active users. But that's changing. Meta recently announced that it will finally place ads in WhatsApp statuses and channel pages. That will open up an entirely new revenue stream for the company, which, given the massive ad revenue Facebook and Instagram produce, could drive significant growth as monetization ramps up over time. Analysts anticipate that Meta's earnings will grow at an average annual rate of 18% over the next three to five years. I wouldn't be surprised if WhatsApp's incremental ad revenue helps the company meet or exceed those estimates. Meta's price-to-earnings ratio has risen to 27, but, frankly, that's still reasonable for the growth you're likely to see over the coming years. Meta waited over a decade after acquiring WhatsApp to make this move, demonstrating just how well its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, can play the long game. Investors would probably be wise to consider partnering with Meta as buy-and-hold investors at these prices. Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $664,089!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $881,731!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jake Lerch has positions in Nvidia and Reddit and has the following options: long July 2025 $150 calls on Advanced Micro Devices. Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Will Healy has positions in Advanced Micro Devices. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Best Tech Stocks for the Second Half of 2025 was originally published by The Motley Fool