Encore une histoire qui m’a fait halluciner… Raz le bol de Nintendo car je viens d’apprendre qu’un utilisateur de la toute nouvelle Switch 2 s’est retrouvé banni du service en ligne de Nintendo après avoir eu le culot… d’acheter des jeux d’occasion sur Facebook Marketplace. Oui, des jeux légitimes, achetés en toute légalité, mais d’occasion. Le crime du siècle, apparemment.
L’affaire nous vient d’un certain dmanthey sur Reddit qui raconte sa mésaventure. Le gars achète tranquillement 4 jeux Switch 1 d’occase sur Facebook, les insère dans sa Switch 2 flambant neuve, lance les mises à jour et va se coucher. Le lendemain matin, surprise ! Son compte est banni des services en ligne. Nintendo a décidé que c’était louche et paf, sanction directe.
I would watch an unboxing video a 100 more times if it used these materials instead of plastic and virgin cardboard. The year is 2025, we’ve unboxed products for decades at this point, and nothing has changed at all. Apart from packages now being smaller and shipping without chargers (we’re looking at you, Apple), we really haven’t advanced much in terms of designing for end-of-life.
A product’s package is literally the most single-use item on the planet. Apart from probably retaining the box for fondness’ sake, nobody keeps the packaging for their Switch, iPhone, iPad, drone, or laptop. These boxes are MEANT to be thrown away 90% of the time – so why are we still using materials NOT made for a single-use mentality? This unique Nintendo Switch packaging from Björn Van Egroo
Designer: Björn Van Egroo
Born from a 3D rendering material experimentation exercise, Egroo’s Nintendo Switch packaging redesign actually taps into something raw and fundamentally game-changing. You don’t need to mold plastic blister shells inside pristine cardboard boxes wrapped with plastic film… a product’s packaging can use materials like compressed coconut fiber, recycled paper, and even sugarcane fiber (bagasse) to create packaging that’s bespoke, filled with character, and shock-absorbing.
Would something like this work for gadgets? Here’s the reality check – yes and no. Yes, it could for a lot of gadgets. But also, no, it couldn’t because the supply chain is way too set in its ways to hard-pivot to an experimental set of materials for millions and millions of gadgets shipped worldwide. This particular concept also has a mild risk of water seepage through the coco fiber, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a little redesign.
I cringe as I have to cut through plastic blister packs every time I order a mouse, or a set of batteries, or a charging cable. Similarly, receiving an almost perfect-looking cardboard box with a Bluetooth speaker inside, only to then throw the box out immediately after unboxing my product, feels just as wasteful. Egroo’s simple material exploration presents a shift that I would HAPPILY endorse.
We’ve got no shortage of recycled and recyclable materials. A simple Google search will tell you that 9 billion coconut husks are discarded annually. Sugarcane pulp, a byproduct of sugar production, is discarded by a factor of 700 million tonnes per year. Paper waste goes into millions of tonnes too. ALL these can easily be rerouted into packaging products instead. Maybe not immediately for tech products (although there are companies using molded pulp instead of styrofoam), but hey… if molded pulp trays are good for eggs (which are way more fragile than your average tech product), then why not for gadgets?
Vous pensiez que sauvegarder vos propres jeux était légal ? Que nenni car Nintendo a décidé que non, et maintenant ils peuvent carrément détruire votre Switch 2 à distance si vous utilisez une MIG flash cart.
Bienvenue dans le nouvelle ère du gaming totalitaire les amis ! Nintendo vient en effet de franchir une ligne rouge que même Sony ou Microsoft n’avaient jamais osé traverser : ils se donnent maintenant le droit de bricker définitivement votre console si vous ne respectez pas leurs règles. Et le plus fou dans l’histoire, c’est qu’ils peuvent le faire même si vous ne faites que jouer à VOS PROPRES jeux sauvegardés.
Remember when slapping a case on your phone felt like admitting defeat; a bulky, rubbery admission that you valued function over form? Thankfully, times have changed. Now, cases are as much about expressing yourself as they are about surviving that dreaded butter-fingers moment. And in the world of gaming, especially with the newly debuted Nintendo Switch 2, that need for protection and personality becomes even more crucial, SUPCASE is redefining how gamers think about protection – not as an afterthought, but as part of the gaming ritual.
Let’s be real, the Nintendo Switch is basically a handheld shrine to our favorite digital worlds; a device we’ll clutch on commutes, huddle with on couches, and maybe, just maybe, rage-quit less when it’s wrapped in something that can take a beating. Now in its second avatar, the Switch 2 even more capable, even more powerful, and arguably, deserving of an even more design-driven approach when it comes to accessories. Enter Jet Weng, Design Director at SUPCASE, and the mastermind behind the company’s philosophy of fusing robust protection with thoughtful design. His approach isn’t about slapping armor on tech, it’s about creating a symbiotic relationship between the device and the user.
Weng’s journey began, unsurprisingly, with a childhood steeped in tinkering with the most vivid memory being that of disassembling his uncle’s Walkman at the age of 10. “Every day of my childhood was surrounded by the process of taking devices apart, diagnosing problems, repairing, and reassembling,” he recalls. This hands-on education fostered a deep understanding of how things work; a foundation upon which he would later build his design ethos. It’s this innate curiosity that sets his work apart, first with his Behance portfolio that prioritized “feasible concepts that are fused with a poetic touch”, followed by his journey to turn protective cases into engineered solutions rather than mere accessories.
The SUPCASE UB Pro for the Switch 2 is a prime example of Weng’s vision. The UB Pro is a meticulously crafted exoskeleton designed to enhance the Switch 2 experience, not hinder it. It boasts military-grade protection, meeting MIL-STD-810G standards; meaning it can withstand some serious drops and bumps. A 2.5mm raised bezel shields the screen from scratches, while the ergonomic grip and anti-slip texture ensure a secure, comfortable hold, even during marathon gaming sessions.
But the UB Pro is more than a fortress; it’s a testament to Weng’s belief in blending “feasibility” with a “poetic touch.” The case’s design is streamlined, hugging the console and Joy-Cons without adding unnecessary bulk. Constructed from German Bayer polycarbonate, the material resists yellowing, dust, and fingerprints, maintaining its clarity and premium feel over time. It’s a case that looks good, feels good, and performs even better.
Anyone who owned the original Switch knows the frustration of removing a case every time you wanted to dock and play on the big screen. The first-ever person to attempt solving this problem, Weng addressed this pain point head-on with SUPCASE’s original dockable Switch case; a product that was a first of its kind and quickly became a gamer favorite. He recalls, “The biggest challenge was making sure the case didn’t interfere with the Switch’s connection to the dock.” The team went through countless prototypes, tweaking dimensions and internal structures until they achieved a perfect fit. This dedication to solving real-world problems is what elevates SUPCASE’s designs above the competition.
Jet Weng
Weng doesn’t just design cases; he designs experiences. He starts by analyzing user pain points, then collaborates with his team to brainstorm creative, yet feasible solutions. He understands that good design is subjective, depending on the product’s purpose. “For example, with a repair tool, function is always the top priority; but for something like a lipstick case, form may take precedence,” he explains. For the UB Pro, function and form are in perfect harmony; protection and ergonomics blend seamlessly with aesthetics.
Vous n’en avez peut-être pas conscience, mais cette Nintendo Switch 2 que vous venez de déballer la semaine dernière pourrait bien vous mentir sur son niveau de batterie. C’est pas une blague, c’est Nintendo qui l’avoue dans un document de support officiel. Alors si vous avez l’impression que votre console se vide plus vite qu’un robinet qui fuit, y a peut-être une bonne nouvelle qui vous attend.
L’histoire commence comme ça… des joueurs râlent sur Reddit et ailleurs parce que leur toute nouvelle Switch 2 semble avoir une autonomie de misère. Certains rapportent que leur console affiche une batterie quasi vide alors qu’elle tient encore plusieurs heures de jeu. D’autres voient leur indicateur de charge faire n’importe quoi, passant de 90% à 20% en un claquement de doigts. Tout le monde avait l’impression d’halluciner jusqu’à ce que Nintendo finisse par reconnaître le problème et, Ô miracle, il y a des solutions !
There is no shortage of “retro mini” consoles today that try to relive the glorious past of gaming. But while it’s definitely fun to walk down memory lane once in a while, many of these designs reveal the limitations of simply trying to repeat the past. Powerful as they might be, these devices are restricted to simply running a select number of games, not even the whole library of titles available to the original console they’re trying to imitate.
Conversely, you can always dress up some single-board computer or SBC such as the Raspberry Pi and get the same feeling but with a bit more flexibility. Despite looking like a tiny gaming console, you can use it for more than just playing around. That’s the experience that this Nintendo-inspired case tries to bring to the Raspberry Pi 5, but it thankfully does more than just put the small computer inside a candy-colored chassis.
Although probably less loved than the quirky-looking GameCube that it followed, the Nintendo 64 still had a notable existence in video game history as the last major home console to use a cartridge when everyone was already moving to optical discs. It may also be one of the last to adopt rather odd shapes for both the console itself as well as its controller, going outside the boundaries of the simple box that would define home consoles for the next decade or so. It’s no surprise, then, that some people have had a fondness for the N64, and those might find comfort in this RPi recreation.
The 64Pi, as this case is so subtly named, mimics the general shape of the Nintendo 64 console, a low box with odd protruding circles on its front corners. But unlike the monochromatic color scheme of the larger originals, this case splits the design between a white bottom and a translucent turquoise top. This makes it look more like the candy-inspired iMac G3 that coincidentally launched around the N64’s lifetime. Given its diminutive size, this motif gives the 64Pi an even cuter appearance that really drives home the fact that it’s a machine meant for gaming.
It isn’t just a cover-up, though, and neither is it a simple Raspberry Pi case. It actually has a few features that go above and beyond trying to recreate a gaming console experience, such as routing two of the four USB ports to the front, right where the game controllers would normally connect. It also has special buttons for Power and Reset, the latter of which could be programmed to any action on the RPi. Finally, it also adds a heat sink and a cooling fan, just in case you really want to push the small computer’s capabilities to the limit.
As adorable and as functional as the 64Pi case might be, it does have a raise a few concerns. The cramped space, for example, might not actually be good for both performance as well as the structural integrity of the board itself. It also makes the GPIO ports unreachable, which would have been a missed opportunity for implementing a cartridge-like system that would make the 64Pi even more flexible and desirable.
Switch 2 is agonisingly close to release at the Nintendo Direct event which will be held on April 2, 2025, at 9 AM Eastern and 6 AM Pacific. The company teased the highly anticipated handheld console in January, and many speculations have ignited the upcoming release since then. At that time Mario Kart 9 was shown off being played using revamped Joy-Cons. The accessory was also used as a mouse, sliding on a flat surface, which is interesting.
The upcoming event that’ll now officially reveal more technical details of the home console cum hybrid handheld that’s bigger than the predecessor. We eagerly await the sequel for a clearer picture of the ‘C Button’ functionality, USB-C ports, and the Joy-Con being used as a mouse input. It is also expected that the price and availability of the Steam Deck killer will be announced at the upcoming event. While a deleted Reddit account had a post revealing the launch date for Nintendo Switch 2 to be May 22, we’ll look at what’s just ahead of us.
Keeping our focus on the Joy-Cons that were briefly shown to have a mouse-like input, there’s more on this development. A patent filed in August 2023 by Nintendo was published yesterday, giving more details about what the controller can do. There are multiple use case scenarios for this input device, one of them being the mouse functionality along with the associated control schemes. We have to keep in mind though, there’s no mention of Switch 2 anywhere in the patent description, and the assumption is purely based on the factual probabilities.
The renders of this patent clearly show a Joy-Con-like device being used as a mouse. The gadget has a front surface, a first slide surface, directional inputs, an upper surface button, and a sensor for mouse operation. In one of the rendered diagrams, the controller is held horizontally with the thumb of the player on the control stick and the SR and SL buttons facing downwards. By reasonable logic, this means the optical sensor will be downwards, so that the device input can be registered in a mouse-like orientation. It looks like the right side of the controller can be placed on a flat surface for mouse-like functionality. In this orientation, the controller can be docked and charged by the look of things.
This mystery device will have a wrist strap attachment slot with a mention of the “magnet” word 355 times indicating the attachment mechanism to be a more convenient magnetically attaching mechanism. We can also not rule out the possibility of Joy-Cons attaching to the Switch 2 magnetically too. Given the rumors that have surrounded the Switch 2 and the Joy-Cons lately, these seem like the missing pieces in the puzzle of what mouse-like controller we have in hiding when the console is finally in our possession.
Although handheld gaming devices have existed since the earliest days of the Game Boy, the recent craze can probably be attributed to the unprecedented and unexpected success of the Nintendo Switch. More than just portability, it offered flexibility in gameplay, especially with its innovative removable Joy-con controllers. Although it continues to be a successful product, the almost eight-year-old device has started showing its age.
In typical Nintendo fashion, it has taken years for a successor to arrive, but the wait is finally over. After no small amount of clamor and a few leaks and false leads, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been confirmed to be coming this year. And while the teaser video is light on the details, there is definitely enough for fans to chew on until the official reveal in April.
Designer: Nintendo
Right off the bat, Nintendo wants to make it clear that the Nintendo Switch 2, which is its official name, is bigger than the OG Switch. You will, however, also notice a complete switch (pun intended) in color schemes. While the first Nintendo Switch drew your attention to its Blue and Red Joy-cons, the Switch 2 carries an almost completely black color scheme, with the other hues acting only as highlights on the controllers. To some extent, this makes it match the predominantly black aesthetic on handheld gaming PCs these days, though Switch 2 owners will most likely apply skins anyway.
There are, of course, even bigger changes all around, starting with, at long last, a second USB-C port at the top of the device, hopefully saying goodbye to awkward charging positions and hello to more accessories. The flimsy bar-style kickstand has also been replaced by a wide U-shaped design, giving not only more stability but also more angles. You can finally lay the Switch 2 almost flat on a table, for whatever reason you might want to.
The Joy-cons also undergo a significant change beyond the increase in size. Gone is the rail mechanism that gave the Nintendo Switch its iconic snapping sound, replaced by hopefully more reliable magnets with a matching snapping sound. The dock has also been given a facelift with rounded corners and a matte finish. All in all, the Nintendo Switch 2 exudes a more mature character than its predecessor, though it’s not clear how that will appeal to those who prefer Nintendo’s Fisher Price aesthetics.
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is silent on the internals, so it’s still anyone’s guess how much more powerful the Switch 2 will be. Don’t hold your breath that it will go head-to-head with handheld PCs or even current-gen consoles, though. That just isn’t Nintendo’s style. Especially since Nintendo is promising compatibility with some, but not all, first-gen Switch games. More details will be revealed in the company’s Direct stream on April 2, but it looks like the launch title has already been decided to be Mario Kart.
If you wish to again play games on your Nintendo console with the GameCube controller that has damaged wires and bad instances of drifting analog sticks, then this accessory arrives as a blessing in disguise. 8BitDo has introduced a mod kit that lets you upgrade your GameCube controller to a wireless gamepad, so that you’re not impulsively tempted into buying a new one.
This is not the first time 8BitDo has introduced a mod kit for the Nintendo controllers including the N64 and earlier ones, so this comes as no surprise. The trick here is that you’ll have to replace the existing PCB of the NGC controller with a drop-in board. The Chinese tech company is taking pre-orders for this useful gaming accessory that’ll make you go wireless if you hate the wire clutter on your Nintendo ecosystem. Called the NGC Mod Kit, this one is slated to ship on 25th September.
You’ll need to have basic soldering knowledge and loads of patience to make the changeover. Remember, controllers are not that easy to put together when opened up. Although not as tedious as putting together something like a DualSense. Of course, there are certified adapters on the market (including 8BitDo GBros and Nintendo’s official adapter) that allow you to use the wired GameCube controller with the Switch but this mod kit cuts out the extra and brings straightforward wireless Bluetooth connectivity.
Along with making your gamepad wireless, there are other add-ons as well. It has Hall effect joysticks for improved lifespan and immunity against sensitive vibrations if you love to play your FPS games hard. The accessory adds a 300mAh USB-C rechargeable battery with 6 hours of playtime for gaming without interruptions. It also adds a new set of triggers to the controller, so basically, you’ll have a virtually new gaming controller to play around with.
8BitDo Mod Kit priced at $26 is worth the spend if you have a Nintendo GameCube controller with chewed-down wires and defunct joystick controls. The only catch is, that you’ll have to slash out another $26 for the Tetro Receiver for GNC to connect to the GameCube. So, spending $52 on a wire-free setup for your existing NGC controller makes logical sense.
Flip Phones? How about we introduce an era of Flip Consoles!
Meet the Game Boy Flip, an audacious fan-made console concept that features a flip-type gadget with joy-cons. In its shut mode, you’ve got a handheld device that can be used to play Game Boy Advanced or Color games, but open the foldable and you’ve got a larger screen for a more immersive landscape-style game a la Nintendo Switch. I don’t see any cameras on this device but slap a couple and you quite literally have a flip phone that can be used for stuff other than just gaming… not bad, huh??
The idea of a foldable gaming console seems like an absolute winner, truth be told. Flip phones are currently in a spot where they’re searching for a problem to solve – but the Game Boy Flip has no such problem. It’s a dedicated gaming device that takes its reputation seriously, offering multiple gaming modes ( we counted as many as three).
The first is just straight-up handheld touchscreen gaming. Use it in the closed mode for more retro old-school games, or open it up for a more expansive contemporary console experience. The dual touchscreens are perfect for immersing yourself in games, although there are arrow buttons on both the left and right side just in case you want some analog action.
If touchscreen gaming isn’t your jam (and a lot of bonafide gamers would feel so), the Game Boy Flip comes with snap-on Joy-Cons that let you play games with advanced controls, just like you would a GBA or Nintendo DS. The closed-display format offers the perfect size and aspect ratio for such games, making it perfect to relive old classics from years ago.
However, open the console up and you’re presented with a modern-day beast. The Joy-Cons snap to the open-screen device, now giving you a larger landscape display that’s perfect for newer games like the ones on the Switch. In fact, I’d go a step further and say the Game Boy Flip looks better than the Switch just given how slick and gorgeous that bezel-less screen is.
The only real difference is that the Joy-Cons don’t exist independently. They’re part of an armature that holds the phone in between (sort of like the Razer Kishi or the Backbone controller) with a USB-C jack plugging into the device to create a ‘wired’ connection, so you can’t detach the Joy-Cons and play with them independently the way you would on a Switch. However, that isn’t really what this concept is all about – it’s more about providing a novel template for the clamshell-style foldable phone, turning it into a Game Boy from the future that’s backward compatible, allowing you to play old classics on a small screen, and modern-day titles on the larger, landscape screen.
Now sure, this is just a fan-made concept of a Nintendo device that will probably never exist… but if anyone there can build a controller prototype for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 or even the Xiaomi Mix Flip, I’m sure there’s definitely a gamer market out there willing to rock a flip phone just for the experience of being able to play games on it effectively!
At one point in most people’s lives, they have probably played with or interacted with a Nintendo gaming device. Now what device that is is of course depends on the generation but with more than a hundred years of experience in creating games, there are a lot of things to choose from. And if you’re a die-hard fan of their various games and consoles, then you’ll want to book a ticket to what will surely be the hottest thing in town in a couple of months.
Yes, we are finally getting a Nintendo Museum opening this October and built on the very space where they started creating hanafuda playing cards in 1889. Because this company has gone through many evolutions since then, you can expect a fun and interactive history lesson spanning a century of family entertainment. There will be various exhibits as well as a cafe and of course, an extensive merchandise shop that will celebrate all kinds of games and technology. There will also be arts and crafts and workshops section where you can do things like create your own hanafuda cards.
The first floor of the Exhibition Building 1 has eight interactive play experiences. Each visitor will get a card that contains ten digital coins to be able to try out the exhibits. They did not specify it but you will probably be able to top up the card if you want to try out everything. The Shigureden SP lets you explore Hyakunin Isshu poems using your smart device and viewing it on the giant screen. The Ultra Machine SP rooms lets you hit balls pitched by a machine and hit items in the room that will react. The Zapper & Scope SP gives you a shooting experience in the world of Mario while the Ultra Hand SP lets you grab balls rolling down lanes and dropping them in pipes. You can also play Nintendo games in areas like the Game & Watch SP, Nintendo Classics, and Big Controller with giant game consoles. There’s even a Love Tester SP where you can see if you and your loved one are compatible.
On the 2nd floor is the museum part where there are exhibits of everything that Nintendo has created throughout the years. This includes the era before they created gaming devices and it includes copying machines, baby strollers, and of course the hanafuda cards and various board games. But of course the highlight would be all the gaming consoles and games that have made them arguably the most popular entertainment company in the world. The Nintendo Museum opens in October but you can already buy your tickets, although if you’re familiar with Japan ticketing, you know that it’s via a randomly selected drawing.
Nintendo Game Boy is one of the bestselling consoles of all time, owing to its competitive pricing and gamer-friendly features. Right from the original version to the consequent variants released in the 90s, the handheld gaming console has been popular across generations and inspired similar designs all these years.
While Nintendo has no plans to release a Game Boy version in the future, a concept design puts the handheld right in the realms of ultra-advanced gaming accessories. The gaming handheld visualized here solves your gaming needs indoors and outdoors sans any restrictions on whether you prefer playing it on the native small screen or the bigger one.
That’s possible with an integrated mini projector that can be taken right off the back of the handheld and positioned to project on any room wall, outdoor tent, or anything with a plain surface. This detachable projector module seamlessly switches the gameplay output, so you can enjoy games on the big canvas anytime. The transparent aesthetics of the handheld are inspired by the clear transparent version dubbed Game Boy Bros. released in 1995.
The display is much bigger, using most of the screen real estate with minimal bezels. Right below it are the gamepad controls that are much bigger and more tactile for improved gameplay and ergonomics. The tiny hardware of the gadget is enclosed in a transparent polycarbonate housing protected by the gorilla glass layer. To make this modern Nintendo handheld stand out, the designer envisions it in cool color options – Flame Scarlet, Greenery, Ultra Violet and Blue Grotto.
The back panel of the handheld holds the detachable projector in place and adjacent is the speaker to enjoy multimedia content and favorite games on the go. The UI of the gadget is heavily influenced by the Game Boy cartridge and the pixelated Gill Sans font evokes the neo-retro feel.
Retro gaming consoles and computers are still going strong, with many designs still left to be revived, resized, and retrofitted for modern times. Most of these products try to recreate the experience of those original machines, at least with the games they used to run on very limited hardware. That said, you can only go so far trying to recreate the past. Sooner or later, you will hit a wall, as demonstrated by the limited number of titles supported by many of these retro consoles. This reinterpretation of a Game Boy classic design, however, isn’t exactly a simple copy of the clamshell handheld. Instead, it takes the same spirit of portable adventure that the Game Boy Advance SP embodied and wraps it in a body that’s well-suited for modern gaming styles.
It’s honestly a bit of a gray legal area whenever third-party brands try to embrace a design so close to something from the annals of video gaming history. That hasn’t stopped the likes of Anbernic from taking obvious inspiration from those bygone designs but with enough modifications to skirt infringement accusations. Of course, Anbernic has its own original designs, but the ones that really grab your attention are those that pay homage to icons like the Nintendo Game Boy.
With the uninspiring name of Anbernic RG35XXSP, the prolific gaming handheld manufacturer is bringing the Game Boy Advance SP back to life, or at least the pocket-sized clamshell design that made it quite a hit. It’s just as blocky and thick as the original, but that’s also part of the device’s charm. For better or worse, however, that’s where the similarities end to the point that you can even say that the RG35XXSP was simply “inspired” by Nintendo’s handheld.
Deep inside, it uses the same guts as all the other iterations of the RG35XX, which means that it’s practically a mini computer that runs the Linux operating system. Specifically, it uses an emulation platform that can support a whole plethora of games from the likes of the Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1, PlayStation Portable, or even MS-DOS. And, yes, it can probably run Game Boy games as well, though you’re left to your own devices on how to make all these work.
What’s more important, however, is that the RG35XXSP doesn’t use the limited controls of the Game Boy Advance SP. Instead, it has enough buttons to support all those gaming platforms, though don’t expect any analog joystick here. The pocketable gaming handheld is also described to be equipped with modern technologies, like Wi-Fi and 5G for local multiplayer gaming, HDMI for TV output, and support for Bluetooth peripherals like controllers, keyboards, and mice. Shown off in four designs that give tribute to those consoles and handhelds of the past, launch details for the Anbernic RG35XXSP are unfortunately still unavailable at this moment.
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