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Here’s our first look at a fresh-faced, whipper snapper of a James Bond in 007: First Light

by admin June 5, 2025

You know the name, you know the number. Yes, it is James Bond 007, but like we have never seen him before.

During PlayStation’s State of Play this evening, developer IO Interactive of Hitman fame gave us our first look at 007: First Light. “Earn the Number,” reads the official blurb accompanying today’s new trailer, which features plenty of those Bond-themes we know and love. The cars, the weapons, the girls, the music. Ahh, I am excited!!

“In 007 First Light, play as James Bond, a young, resourceful, and sometimes reckless new recruit, and discover an origin story for the first time,” the developer continues, promising an “all-new game experience from IO Interactive”, set for release in 2026.

Before I get more into it, here’s the trailer:

007 First Light – Announcement Trailer. Watch on YouTube

“This is Bond as you’ve never seen him before – the youngest Bond fans have ever met,” IO wrote in an accompanying blog post. In fact, this Bond is only 26, which makes me feel ancient (but, you don’t look it, Victoria!).

Anyway, First Light’s Bond is “a man with sharp instincts, sometimes reckless, who is still learning when to fight, when to bluff, and when to disappear into the shadows”, and he starts off the game as a Navy air crewman. However, various events soon throw him into the thrills and spills of MI6 life, and “this training coupled with his natural instinct, wits, and heart will see him grow into a fully-fledged spy”.

I don’t know if you can tell but guys, I really can’t wait!!

Image credit: IOI

Towards the end of last year, IOI said it hopes its upcoming James Bond origin story will be the start of a trilogy, adding the release will not be a “gamification of a movie”.

007: First Light will also feature again later this week during IO’s own showcase, which is scheduled for Friday, 6th June, at 6pm PDT. That’s 2am on 7th June for those of us in the UK, but who am I kidding, I will be watching.

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June 5, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Here’s everything Switch 2 won’t be able to do without installing its day one update

by admin June 4, 2025

Switch 2 is almost upon us (and in some territories, actually upon us), and with its arrival comes Nintendo’s much-touted day one update. We already knew it was an important one, unlocking a significant amount of the console’s basic functionality, but Nintendo’s patch notes make it clear you won’t be doing much of anything right out of the box on launch day without it.

Switch 2’s 20.1.1 patch is available to download now (not especially useful in the UK at the moment, of course), and opens up a whole raft of fairly fundamental features you otherwise won’t have access to, including the ability to play a substantial number of games.

Once installed, your inert electronic Nintendo lump will be positively transformed, now capable of running Switch software, accessing Switch Online features including Game Chat, opening Nintendo’s eShop, and more. Notably, the update is also required to use MicroSD Express cards and to run Switch 2 software shipped on game-key cards – which seems to be the vast majority of third-party physical releases right now.

You’ll be prompted to install the update as part of Switch 2’s set-up process, otherwise you’ll later see the prompt when trying to access any of the features it’s used for. Nintendo hasn’t explicitly revealed its download size, but early word suggests it’s pretty svelt – you might just be able to fit in a cuppa while you wait, though, if you turn the kettle on quick. Patch notes!

Nintendo Switch 2 Version 20.1.1

The following features have been added:

Use of compatible Nintendo Switch software
Nintendo Switch Online
GameChat
GameShare
System transfer from Nintendo Switch
Virtual game cards
Nintendo eShop
News
Upload of screenshots and videos to the server – Nintendo Switch App on a smart device is needed to view and download screenshots and videos uploaded to the server
Link with the smart device apps Nintendo Switch Parental Controls and Nintendo Switch App
Nintendo Switch App on a smart device is needed to view and download screenshots and videos uploaded to the server
Linking to a Nintendo Account is required for network features, with some exceptions.
Updating to version 20.1.1 is required to use Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards.
Updating to version 20.1.1 is required to use a microSD Express card.

Will Switch 2’s 20.1.1 update turn Nintendo’s latest console into a must-have machine? It’ll be a little while before Eurogamer’s ready to share our final verdict, but you can at least read our review of Nintendo’s other controversial, expensive handheld until then. As for the machine’s launch day games, Mario Kart World left Eurogamer’s Chris Tapsell wondering if there might be more to see after some underwhelming first impressions, while Welcome Tour, conversely, has proven to be an unexpectedly welcome surprise. Even if it does cost £8.

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June 4, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Google search’s AI overviews are awful, but here’s a browser extension that gets rid of them

by admin June 4, 2025

Among the countless examples of the ever-burgeoning ens***ification of the internet, Google’s AI-powered search overviews rank pretty highly. Verily, I pine for the days of reliable, organic search results devoid of AI slop.

But don’t despair. Well, not entirely. For the editor-in-chief of our sister website, Tom’s Hardware, has come up with a browser extension that gets rid of AI overviews from Google search results. Give it up for Avram Piltch and his Bye Bye, Google AI extension.

To quote the man himself, Avram says Google, “decided to push AI overviews and AI mode onto search users, regardless of the damage it causes to the user experience or the harm it may inflict on publishers and the entire open web.”

He also points out that Google is rolling out AI Overviews to ever more territories and countries and fears that Google may eventually want to replace all organic search results with AI Overviews . His solution is the aforementioned Bye, Bye Google AI, which works in Chrome or Edge or any desktop browser that supports Chrome extensions. He’s currently working on Firefox and Safari versions.

“The extension allows you to hide the AI Overview section from all of your queries and goes a step further, allowing you to hide other areas of the Google SERP that you may not want, such as the videos section, text ads, or ‘People Also Ask,'” Avram says.

The latest 1.5 version now supports 19 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin (Trad + Simplified), Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, Hindi, Thai, Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Danish and Portuguese. You can also now hide the AI Mode tab, not just AI Overviews.

Avram also explains the other ways to kill the AI Overview, such as adding “-noai” to your search string. But if you want to permanently kill AI Overviews—or at least for as long as this extension works and Google is serving up any organic results at all—then Bye, Bye Google AI feels like a no brainer of an extension.

Of course, you could just use another search engine, like DuckDuckGo. Moreover, the seemingly falling quality of Google’s organic results isn’t fixed by this extension. But if you just want to remove a little AI slop from your daily interneting, then this could be the tool for you.

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June 4, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Here’s What The Ripple CEO Had To Say About The Bitcoin Vs. XRP Debate

by admin June 2, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has stressed that members of the Bitcoin community are not enemies of XRP holders. His latest remarks come amid increased discussions, especially on social media, about the relationship between the two large blockchain ecosystems. Speaking at an event in Las Vegas, Garlinghouse argued that Bitcoin and XRP are not competing in a zero-sum game, but rather advancing a shared mission that could reshape the global banking system over the next decade.

Garlinghouse Says Bitcoin And XRP Can Both Win

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse directly addressed the perceived rivalry between the two communities while speaking at a recent event in Las Vegas. “The Bitcoin community is not our enemy. They really are not. If they do well, we’re gonna do well, we might do better. It’s not a zero-sum game,” he told attendees.

His comments demonstrate Ripple’s leadership in positioning XRP not as a challenger to Bitcoin, but as a strong force driving forward a digital transformation. Rather than causing division, Garlinghouse’s comments advocate for mutual progress, arguing that growth in the Bitcoin ecosystem is not a threat to Ripple’s success.

Although price comparisons have dominated much of the debate, Garlinghouse’s remarks draw attention to a bigger split in their vision. As the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin was created to challenge the traditional global finance system.

On the other hand, Ripple’s XRP focuses on working within regulatory frameworks to improve cross-border payments among banks. Despite their differences, Garlinghouse suggested both are necessary players in a much larger transformation of the baking industry.

A Shared Role In Rebuilding Global Finance

Garlinghouse didn’t stop at defending XRP’s relationship with Bitcoin; he expanded his vision to the future of the banking system itself. “Rewriting the entire banking system and what this looks like in maybe 10 years or 20 years. We underestimate how big that change is and how profound it is, and we get there by being collaborative and working together and not against each other,” he added.

His comments serve as a call for unity as digital assets become increasingly integrated into the global financial system. As such, the message to XRP holders is clear. XRP’s Success doesn’t require discrediting or working against Bitcoin. Both assets can rise together if the focus is on adoption and the greater mission in global finance.

One such adoption is the recent official launch of both XRP and Micro XRP futures contracts on CME Group. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse took to the social media platform X to mark this move, describing it as a key institutional milestone for XRP. Furthermore, investor optimism for a spot XRP ETF has increased significantly in recent weeks, with the odds of approval by the SEC now sitting at 83%.

Meanwhile, XRP is currently trading at $2.16 after rebounding from $2.10 on May 31. However, the cryptocurrency is currently down by 7.83% in a seven-day timeframe.

BTC trading at $104,819 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Dogecoin (DOGE) Tanks 60%: Here’s Ugly Truth

by admin June 2, 2025

It is time to call Dogecoin what it is: a 60% drop that reveals a lack of investor conviction. The meme coin’s 2025 price performance has been a complete mess thus far. Following a break below the 50 EMA and a paper tiger test of the 100 and 200 EMAs, DOGE is currently holding onto a weak support zone at $0.19-$0.20 after peaking at $0.50.

This degree of decline is not merely another healthy retracement; rather, it is an obvious indication that the market no longer believes in the asset. The technical image appears bleak. An asset should never see price action below the 50 EMA, but DOGE, a volatile meme asset, is a complete bust. The chart indicates that the market does not believe in a sustainable recovery given the lack of any real support from the convergence of the moving averages (black 200 EMA and orange 100 EMA).

DOGE/USDT Chart by TradingView

It is clear that momentum has vanished because even the RSI indicators at the bottom of the chart are trapped in neutral to bearish territory. The harsh reality is that Dogecoin’s core principles have never stood out. It has always involved conjecture and excitement. But now that investors are growing more discriminating and the macro environment surrounding cryptocurrency is suffering, the 60% wipeout serves as a warning.

Satoshi’s First Collaborator Suggests Creating ‘Bitcoin Mossad.’ Here’s Why

by admin June 2, 2025

Martti ‘Sirius’ Malmi, the Finnish computer scientist who is known as one of the first Bitcoin developers who collaborated with Satoshi Nakamoto, has suggested creating the so-called “Bitcoin Mossad” in order to protect OG holders from potential attacks.

Malmi has floated the idea of El Salvador, the first country that made Bitcoin legal tender, hosting such an organization.

This comes after Vora co-founder Jesse Posner recently opined that there needs to be robust protection for long-time Bitcoin holders in case of “hyperbitcoinization,” a theoretical scenario in which Bitcoin reaches widespread mainstream acceptance.

“Hyperbitcoinization will make long-time hodlers the world’s juiciest targets,” Posner said.

Alex Stanczyk, managing director at Swan Bitcoin, stated that security firms should be careful about marketing since they could potentially set their clients up for failure and false expectations.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

A monster from Tenebris Somnia, a deformed, two-faced woman.

Product Reviews

Here’s another terrifying trailer for that creepy retro survival horror game that’s half FMV, half pixel-art

by admin June 2, 2025

I’ve been spooked by plenty of pixel-art horror games, like Signalis or Look Outside. But I can’t think of an FMV game that’s truly frightened me. The bit in The 7th Guest where hands try to come out of the painting seemed eerie when I was a kid, but now it’s pure kitsch. Watching the first trailer for Tenebris Somnia made me think I might be properly frightened by FMV in a videogame at last.

The second trailer cements that feeling. It bounces back and forth between live-action and the kind of pixel art I associate with games like Maniac Mansion, and while the retro art leaves you to imagine all the gory details of a blood-soaked bed or a two-faced woman with a mouth like a gaping portal to eternal darkness, the FMV cutscenes straight-up show you that stuff and it’s pure nightmare fuel.

Tenebris Somnia – Trailer 2 – YouTube

Watch On

I’ve seen a couple of comments where people are suspicious of how good the cutscenes look, since they could pass for a decently budgeted horror movie and we’re used to seeing FMV that looks, well, cheap. “Has AI generation been used in the making of this trailer?” asked someone on the Steam forum. Dave Oshry himself, CEO of publisher New Blood Interactive, showed up to reply, “Absolutely ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ not.”

I Played Elden Ring Nightreign as a Third-Person Shooter. Here’s Why You Should Pick Up a Bow

by admin June 2, 2025

Usually when I pick up a new FromSoftware game, I opt to build my character into the biggest, strongest guy alive. In Bloodborne, I swung around the Hunter’s Axe from beginning to end, and in Elden Ring, I beelined to the first colossal swords I could find, which include some of the game’s best weapons.

I’m happiest when I have enough poise to stand my ground against any attack and just keep swinging a blade at the bad guy. I was planning on playing a big, strong character in Elden Ring Nightreign, too. Perhaps I would tank the hits for my team as the Guardian or power through them as the Raider. And then my DualSense controller’s USB cable busted right as the review period started.

Have you ever tried to play Elden Ring with a keyboard and mouse? It’s not the most intuitive control scheme. Off the rip, I was having trouble with simple tasks like flicking between enemies and swiftly changing my equipment in the heat of battle.

I quickly gave up on trying to make a melee character work, and decided to try out Ironeye, the roguish assassin carrying a bow and dagger. What I found was a character that made me feel surprisingly useful as part of a three-person squad, especially as a gamer more well-versed in shooters than in roleplaying games — and I could play the archer just like third-person shooters I’m familiar with.

That’s right: While most Ironeye players are using lock-on, I’m firing with free-aim crosshairs. And it’s incredible.

Free aiming with a two-handed bow feels smooth and responsive in Nightreign.

Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET

Archery has never felt more intuitive in a FromSoftware game

My previous forays into picking up a bow in Elden Ring were stymied by the fact that I needed to manage my inventory of arrows on the fly. While it’s cool to craft trick arrows (it makes me feel like Hawkeye or Green Arrow) to inflict elemental damage or status afflictions, it’s not cool to run out of arrows in the middle of combat. I never felt that I could pick a fight with only my bow and come out on top.

In Elden Ring Nightreign, you have infinite arrows — your attacks are only limited by your stamina and focus points (aka mana) if using special abilities. In a three-person squad, I was able to constantly pressure enemies from afar, pincushioning bosses in their weak points as my allies hacked at their legs.

The arrows don’t do the highest damage per second in the game, but I was able to land consistent hits on our opponents and chip away at the health bar even during more dangerous phases of the battle. And since I was farther away from the boss, I was safer from danger — a genuine concern when the effectiveness of the team largely depends on everyone staying up. Perhaps most usefully, I could shoot my fallen squadmates from a distance to revive them without drawing the boss’s attention.

The best part of Nightreign’s archery is the generous free aim camera. I wasn’t joking when I said that I played the game as if it were a third-person shooter. While the camera lock reliably let me hit center mass on most enemies, wielding a bow with two hands let me aim with my mouse and loose arrows across any of my sightlines on the battlefield.

Many foes would stumble when I shot them in the head, and I used this to stun-lock smaller enemies and clear the fodder during hectic boss fights. As it turns out, all of the time I’ve been putting into Marvel Rivals has resulted in me picking up some transferable accuracy skills that aid my survival in The Lands Between.

If and when a boss focused on me instead of my allies, I would revert to using the camera lock and kite the monster around the outside of the arena. Ironeye is dexterous, and can dodge through many attacks. If I’d created a large enough gap between myself and the beast, I weaved in a volley or two from my quiver before continuing my retreat.

Eventually, my allies would peel the boss away from me, and I’d get back to work doing what I’m best at — needling the giant bad guy in the face until it stopped moving.

Ironeye’s dagger dash keeps him safe while letting him do extra damage to any foes he cuts through.

Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET

A Nightfarer with utility and survivability

While Ironeye’s damage-per-second isn’t as high as other Nightfarers, I never felt like a mere nuisance on the battlefield. My ranged capabilities let me target weak points that my teammates couldn’t hit, even on certain Nightlord aspects (the final boss of an expedition).

I was able to do remarkable damage to flying enemies, and certain bosses — like dragons — would quickly fall to a flurry of well-aimed arrows.

When enemies didn’t have an obvious weakness, I’d create one myself with Ironeye’s class ability. He can dash forward with his dagger, exposing an enemy’s weak spot and granting a damage multiplier to any arrows landed there.

When I’m able to destroy the mark, the team is able to take advantage of a unique enemy stagger, opening a crucial window of opportunity for free damage. I felt rewarded for approaching the battle and passing quickly through an enemy, before returning to the outskirts of the arena to double my DPS.

The dagger dash is also a great survival tool, because Ironeye gets invincibility frames during the full animation and repositions himself on the other side of an approaching foe. The ability recharges within seconds, so I never felt like I was left high and dry with no way to defend myself against a particularly aggressive brawler.

If one of those enemies happened to down my squadmates, all I had to do was fire a handful of arrows at an ally to get them back into the fight. There’s no doubt in my mind that Ironeye is the best Nightfarer for reviving teammates — the Recluse needs to expend FP to do similarly, and even the Revenant needs to use her ultimate to match the value the archer brings to the table in this regard. While any class can equip a bow, they likely won’t have the Dexterity stat advantage that Ironeye has to do more revival “damage” to pick up teammates.

Ironeye’s ultimate ability cleaves through the battlefield to hit its intended target.

Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET

Most importantly, Ironeye provides great utility to the melee-focused members of his squad. His ultimate ability, Single Shot, pulls out a massive great bow that takes a couple seconds to set up, but fires through any enemies and terrain to spear its intended target.

This ability absolutely clears fodder that might be crowding your allies, but I also found that it does great poise damage against bosses — opening them up for devastating critical hits from your team.

If you want to find success in Elden Ring Nightreign, half the battle is putting together an effective team composition. While archery might be a load of bunk in Elden Ring, Ironeye more than holds his own in this game. Grab your bow and arrows and play Nightreign like a third-person shooter — you’ll be able to DPS and support the squad without breaking a sweat.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Week Restocks – Here’s What We Know So Far

by admin June 2, 2025

Nintendo Switch 2 launch week is here. If you secured a preorder for the Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle or standalone console at a major retailer, you probably already know when you’ll be able to start playing. But if you weren’t able to secure a preorder, there’s still a chance you’ll be able to buy the Switch 2 on or around the console’s June 5 release date.

Will Switch 2 preorders open again?

Nintendo Switch 2 preorders have largely been sold out since April 24, the day preorders started at major retailers. The Nintendo Store opened preorders on May 8 on an invite-only basis–you can still register your interest, but you will have an unknown wait time. We’ve only seen Switch 2 preorder restocks at Walmart; this happened on multiple occasions, including the weekend after preorders opened and this past Friday.

So, if preorders opened again, Walmart seems like the most likely candidate. The retailer is using some interesting phrasing on its Switch 2 store page. Walmart previously vowed to deliver Switch 2 preorders by 9 AM local time on launch day. That remains the plan–as long as you preorder by 8 AM ET on June 4. With that in mind, it seems possible Walmart will open preorders again after the launch delivery guarantee expires.

In any case, we know the Switch 2 will be available at select retailers both in-store and online on June 5 and in the ensuing days after launch. Let’s take a look at Nintendo Switch 2 launch plans at retailers who are confirmed to have Switch 2 consoles starting June 5.

Quick Look: Nintendo Switch 2 Store Pages

Nintendo Switch 2 Launch at Walmart

Launch event in stores?

Walmart is not advertising a midnight launch for the Nintendo Switch 2, so we’d recommend contacting locations in your area to see what each store’s plans and policies are for launch day. Walmart no longer has 24-hour locations, but locations open as early as 6 AM, and we’d suspect lines will begin to form long before then.

Walmart’s Switch 2 stock situation is a bit murky at the moment, because some customers have reported preorders being canceled in recent days. The retailer cited a system glitch as the reason why some orders were processed beyond the number of allocated units.

Walmart sold out of most first-party accessories weeks ago, which is somewhat bizarre because Target, Best Buy, and GameStop still have most accessories in stock. We suspect Walmart is holding back some accessory stock for launch.

Online restock:

Though the retailer hasn’t directly confirmed console restocks on June 5, the listings for the Mario Kart World Bundle and standalone console align with how the retailer typically handles highly anticipated product drops. Both pages say “Coming soon! Release date: 06/05/2025” in a blue box. This text box, historically, is used for events like Black Friday and Walmart+ sales, so we would be surprised if Walmart doesn’t have units available to buy online on launch day.

Nintendo Switch 2 launch at Best Buy

Midnight launch on June 5 at 12:01 AM ET:

Best Buy is hosting a midnight launch at 12:01 AM ET on June 5. You can use the dropdown menu on the store page to see if your local Best Buy store is participating. Some customers who attend the midnight launch will receive a free commemorative Nintendo coin; the coin has the Switch 2 logo on one side and the Best Buy logo on the other side.

Online restock:

It also appears that Best Buy will restock the console online at launch. Best Buy’s store pages for both the bundle and standalone console utilize the “Coming Soon” grayed-out button and “High Demand Product” disclaimers. A Best Buy account will be required to purchase the console.

Nintendo Switch 2 launch at Target

Launch event on June 5 from 8 AM to 4 PM:

Target is hosting Switch 2 launch events at stores around the country on June 5 from 8 AM to 4 PM. Along with the chance to buy the Switch 2, Target promises “ultra-fun giveaways.” If you live in the Orlando, Florida area, the Millenia Target store will have the largest launch event at Target, as it will features games, prizes, Nintendo merch, and giveaways. Target’s Bull Terrier mascot Bullseye will also be in attendance, but it’s unclear if it will be a real dog or an employee dressed in a dog suit.

Online restock on June 6:

Target has confirmed it will restock the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle on Friday, June 6, so if you strike out at one of the launch-day events, you’ll have another chance to snag a console the following day.

Nintendo Switch 2 launch at GameStop

Midnight launch starts at 3 PM local time on June 4:

Select GameStop locations will be hosting a midnight launch for the Nintendo Switch 2. The event starts at 3 PM local time on June 4. Orders can be picked up at 9 PM PT (June 4) / 12 AM ET (June 5). Some store locations will be giving away one free can of Red Bull to each customer, which is an odd giveaway. The humorous part here is that GameStop is locking the Red Bull giveaway behind its Pro membership, a move typically reserved for highly anticipated products.

Online restock:

It’s unclear if GameStop will restock the Switch 2 online, but we wouldn’t be surprised if launch restocks are only for Pro members.

Nintendo Switch 2 Launch: More Retailers

Several other national retail chains have confirmed the Switch 2 will be available to purchase on June 5.

Sam’s Club: The Walmart-owned warehouse club will have the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle on June 5. It will only be available to Sam’s Club members. New members can get an annual Sam’s Club membership for $25 (was $50).

Costco: Costco will have the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart Bundle with a 12-month Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership on June 5. It will only be available for Costco members. The retailer will also have the Switch 2 Pro Controller on launch day.

Staples: On occasion, the office supplies retailer also sells video game consoles and games. This is one such occasion. The Switch 2 will be available to purchase at select Staples stores on June 5.

Nintendo Switch 2 on Amazon? That’s a reseller.

Amazon US does not carry first-party Nintendo gaming products.

Amazon US hasn’t sold first-party Nintendo video game products for about a year at this point, which is why no one has preordered the Switch 2 from Amazon US. Note: Amazon still carries Nintendo gaming products, including the Switch 2, in other regions such as the UK.

However, it’s possible, and perhaps even likely, that Nintendo Switch 2 console listings will pop up on Amazon starting June 5. Unless Nintendo and Amazon change course–the details surrounding the absence of Nintendo from Amazon are murky–those store pages will be created by third-party resellers looking to turn a profit. Pay close attention to the “Ships from” and “Sold by” lines below the “Buy Now” button. If you are willing to spend extra on the Switch 2 by purchasing from a reseller, you’ll want to verify the seller is reputable before completing your transaction.

Amazon Has Third-Party Switch 2 Products:

You can still find many Nintendo Switch 2 accessories and games at Amazon. The retailer stocks officially licensed third-party accessories from brands like Hori and third-party games. Amazon remains the largest seller of accessories that are not licensed by Nintendo, including products from popular brands like JSAUX, Spigen, Skull & Co., and Tomtoc.

Switch 2 Games & Accessories at Amazon:

All Nintendo Switch 2 Games at Amazon
Skull & Co. Ergonomic Grips, Cases, and More Switch 2 Gear
JSAUX Ergonomic Grips, Wheels, Cases, and More Switch 2 Gear
Tomtoc Travel Cases & Bags for Switch 2
Screen Protectors for Switch 2 | Curated by GameSpot
Spigen Ergonomic Grips, Cases, Screen Protectors for Switch 2
MicroSD Express Cards for Switch 2
Joy-Con 2 Racing Wheels for Switch 2 | Curated by GameSpot
Joy-Con 2 Controller Grips for Switch 2 | Curated by GameSpot
Joy-Con 2 Mouse Mode Grips for Switch 2 | Curated by GameSpot
PowerA Carrying Cases for Nintendo Switch 2 (Officially Licensed)
Hori Switch 2 Camera, Controller, Cases, and more Switch 2 Gear (Officially Licensed)

All Official Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories

Official Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories

We put together a list of all of the official Nintendo Switch 2 accessories that are arriving alongside the console on June 5.

Switch 2 Pro Controller — $85
Switch 2 Camera — $55
Joy-Con 2 Controllers (2-Pack) — $95
Joy-Con 2 (Right, Red Strap) — $55
Joy-Con 2 (Left, Blue Strap) — $55
Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip — $40
Joy-Con 2 Straps (2-Pack) — $14
Joy-Con 2 Racing Wheels (2-Pack) — $25
Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector — $40
Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case — $85
Switch 2 AC Adapter — $35
Samsung 256GB microSD Express Card — $60
Nintendo GameCube Controller — $65 | Exclusive to Nintendo Store

Check out our Nintendo Switch 2 first-party accessory roundup for an in-depth look at the accessories listed above.

Every Nintendo Switch 2 Game with Boxed Edition

Nintendo Switch 2 Games

Below, you’ll find a list of all of the Nintendo Switch 2 games with physical editions that are available to purchase now. It’s worth noting that not all physical games are fully physical. Nintendo’s first-party physical releases contain the full game file on the cartridge. With most third-party releases, you’re getting a Game-Key Card, which looks the same but requires you to download part of the game file from the eShop.

There are a few exceptions to the Game-Key Card trend. Most notably, Cyberpunk 2077’s 64GB Switch 2 game card includes the full game and Phantom Liberty expansion. Additionally, all of the upcoming games published by Marvellous–Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion–come with the full experience on the Switch 2 game card. Meanwhile, Split Fiction’s physical edition is simply a code in a box.

Switch 2 Exclusives – Launch Games

Upcoming Switch 2 Exclusives

Multiplatform Launch Games

Upcoming Multiplatform Games

Check out our Nintendo Switch 2 games preorder roundup for a closer look at the titles listed above.

Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo

Nintendo is releasing seven new Amiibo figures on June 5. The four Legend of Zelda Amiibo cost $30 each, while the trio of Street Fighter 6 Amiibo are $40 each. GameStop also has exclusive Street Fighter 6 Amiibo cards (also $40). Yes, Switch 2 Amiibo are very expensive.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Here’s What’s at Stake for Crypto in South Korea’s Upcoming Election

by admin May 31, 2025

In brief

Nearly one-third of South Koreans own crypto, making digital assets a pivotal campaign topic.
Both parties support crypto ETFs, but diverge on stablecoin strategy and banking reforms.
New regulations from June will allow exchanges and non-profits to sell digital assets, signaling a potential policy shift.

South Korea is gearing up to elect a new president on June 3. And while the election may be more dominated by other issues in Korean politics, such as the recent impeachment of the previous president, candidates have positioned digital assets as a key campaign issue in a nation where nearly one-third of citizens own crypto.

Dr. Sangmin Seo, a South Korean technologist who leads the Kaia DLT Foundation, views crypto as becoming increasingly politically instrumental.

“This election, Korean politics sees crypto as a narrative to gain voters’ favors, positioning it as another national growth engine besides AI and semiconductors,” Seo told Decrypt.

“There is widespread support for the idea that the Korean crypto industry cannot lose its competitiveness on the global stage. Both sides of politics feel the urgency to catch up with regulatory advancements in other countries.”

Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party nominee Kim Moon-soo have found rare common ground supporting crypto ETFs.

Yet the two candidates diverge sharply on stablecoin policy.

Lee supports won-backed stablecoins to curb capital flight, or money leaving its shores, citing roughly $40.8 billion in outflows from Korean exchanges in Q1.

The country needs “to prevent national wealth from leaking overseas,” he said during policy discussions earlier this month.

As the front-runner, Lee plans to create a monitoring system and reduce transaction costs, providing investors with regulated access to crypto.

Kim, meanwhile, seeks to dismantle the one-exchange-one-bank rule to ease banking restrictions on crypto firms. He plans to slash taxes for the country’s growing middle class, enabling a transparent crypto market, and allowing crypto-linked funds to operate.

But for those crypto ETFs to come in, regulators would need to work with the parties and their positions on digital assets.

Last week, the country’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) released details of a May 1 discussion that would allow non-profit organizations and crypto exchanges to sell digital assets starting in June.

In the same week, South Korea’s Democratic Party launched a Digital Asset Committee to establish comprehensive regulations.

Decrypt reached out to both parties for comments on their respective crypto policy positions.

Learning from the past

The consensus between the two major parties suggests that crypto and digital asset regulation in the country could soon relax, even with concerns of repeating what happened with Do Kwon and the collapse of Terra, an algorithmic stablecoin.

In addition to the impact on consumers, the collapse of Terra has led to South Korea’s crypto industry being “reviled as one of the darkest markets, with some calling it gambling,” according to Seo.

Coupled with several other high-profile scandals, including one involving a politician’s trading activities, reigning in the industry is a priority.

“Now, lawmakers are communicating with industry experts who have studied the first movers, such as the EU, Singapore, the US, and the UAE, to create the most applicable regulatory framework for the Korean market, and this includes the consumer protection measures,” Seo added.

ETFs

Candidates are also showing interest in launching crypto ETFs in Korea, although the topic has been floated multiple times by politicians since the U.S. launched its spot Bitcoin ETFs and little concrete progress on their introduction has been made.

“[The] first step should start from judging which party can operate spot ETF, including custody,” Ryan Yoon, senior analyst at Tiger Research, a Web3 market analytics firm with expertise in Asian markets, told Decrypt.

“Investor classification depends on their risk tolerance, but I think an ETF will open to all,” Yoon noted.

KP Jang, chief strategy officer at Seoul-based data intelligence platform Xangle, told Decrypt this is likely to happen, but with certain conditions.

“Won-backed stablecoins are likely to circulate primarily within Korea,” Jang said.

Those would be “relatively less prone to triggering global market shocks like the Terra-Luna incident,” given how the Korean won (KRW) isn’t used “as a settlement currency” elsewhere.

The proposed won-backed stablecoin would also be issued as a “fully-collateralized model,” Jang noted, adding that “actual Korean won reserves” would be “held in full against the issued amount.”

Such clarity in collaterals would greatly enhance stability and reduce “the likelihood of a collapse like that of past crypto-algorithmic models,” he said.

Tiger Research’s Yoon echoed this, saying that a repeat of that kind of failure is unlikely.

Still, South Korea lacks “official discussions or regulations to protect stablecoin users,” Yoon said, citing the U.S.’s GENIUS Act could serve as a “potential reference.”

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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May 31, 2025 0 comments