Wrestlemania 41 takes place this Saturday and Sunday from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. As always, the event is full of great games with the best names in wwe.
The head of Sunday night 2 is the game that has caught the attention of the wrestling world, since John Cena goes for a record victory against the undisputed wwe champion, Cody Rhodes. If Cena wins, he will break the draw between him and Ric Flair for the registration of the most recognized world title in the history of wrestling.
In his search for the record, Cena has abandoned fans, turning the heel and attacking Rhodes after winning the elimination chamber. That shocking moment became viral instantly and added a new advantage to Wrestlemania.
The Women’s World Championship will also be at stake on Sunday, since Io Sky defends the title against Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. Belair won his shot in the belt by winning the female elimination and Ripley camera match, he made his way in the game after Sky defeated her in RAW to win the title.
Wrestlemania 41 night will take place on April 20 and will broadcast live in Peacock from 7 pm et. Let’s take a look at who CBS sports experts choose in each game.
Classification of each wwe Wrestlemania of all time: where each of the 40 events fit before the 2025 edition
Brent Brookhouse
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wwe undisputed wwe – Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena: It has always been inevitable that the dinner retirement tour involves him to break the record of most of the reigns of the title. Everything is reduced to how to put the belt around your waist better and maximize your time as a champion. If Cena wins on Sunday, then there is a persecution of the title that goes to Summerslam with dinner as heel champion. That is probably the best way to use dinner while finishing his career. Look for the rock to appear and help Cena to get the victory, showing Rhodes what happens when you do not do what “Boss final” asks you. Pick: John Cena wins the title – Brent Brookhouse
The persecution of the hero often triumphs over the reign of the subsequent title. It is the status quo in wrestling. Rhodes was always going to have difficulty exceeding the emotional maximum if his time of WrestleMania 40. Rhodes had a solid career of one year as wwe undisputed champion, but it is time to shake things. Dinner becoming a world champion of 17 times that establishes the record gives a purpose of Rhodes before Summerslam. Pick: John Cena wins the title – Shakiel Mahjouri
Women’s World Championship –IYO SKY (C) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley: It is very clear that wwe‘s approach for this game is to have Sky as the champion that is overlooked, while Berair and Ripley have focused on each other. Sky could be the best female fighter in the world for more than a year and deserve more time to shine as a champion. Getting Sky to show how big it was for BeAir and Ripley not to take it seriously is the way to follow. Pick: Iyo Sky retains the title – Brookhouse
wwe has played its nearby cards around the result of this game. Unlike most mania matches, there is no obvious or correct address here. Belair is undefeated in Wrestlemania and is late for a great singles race after turning to the division of the label team. I hope the “Est of wwe” reigns again. Pick: Bianca Belair wins the title – Mahjouri
AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul: Paul is a timer that appears mainly to have an exciting game in great events. There is really no reason to give him a victory over Styles, who is a great member of the list capable of being connected to great stories when wwe needs. wwe could play Karrion Kross’s mental games causing the styles to lose, but the most sensible option is only that the styles obtain victory. Paul will look good in the losing process and that is good enough. Pick: Win AJ styles – Brookhouse (also mahjouri)
Intercontinental Championship – Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio: The time has come to wwe to tie Dom Mysterio. Mysterio has become someone with a real screen presence and a specific type of heel talent since he separated from his father. Breakker should move towards the image of the world title. Balor is constantly falling with the day of the trial, which would be promoted by Mysterio winning the belt that Balor has been pointing. Penta would be a good winner, but it is probably better chasing a Mysterio champion. Pick: Dominik Mysterio wins the title – Brookhouse (also mahjouri)
Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (without City Street Fight): McIntyre should have a more important role in Wrestlemania 41. His dispute with CM Punk was one of the best stories told last year, often at his coast. wwe had something interesting with his “Bloodline Hunter” saga, but quickly abandoned her in favor of other Wrestlemania games. McIntyre and priest face largely in large part for convenience. Both deserve to be exhibition, but McIntyre deserves it more. Pick: drew mcintyre wins – Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Women’s label team – Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodríguez (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria: This match was randomly married to complete the card and obtain some important pieces on the board. As such, it is difficult to believe that Bayley’s improvised duo and Valkyria will get the approval of the most established team. Morgan’s dispute with Rhea Ripley was a culminating point of 2024 even though his welcome remained. The titles of the label team are a step down for Morgan, but she gives them credibility. In addition, the day of judgment benefits from having gold in its circle. If Morgan and Dominik Mysterio leave Wrestlemania with titles, they will be the best couple of power in promotion. Pick: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodríguez retain the titles – Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
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It was so much Having back on the scene on February 1, when the surprising exchange of Los Angeles Lakers for Luka Doncic was being consummated, which was easy to miss what really happened in the game that night.
The Lakers had defeated the Knicks 128-112 at Madison Square Garden behind a strong defensive effort without their best defensive player, Anthony Davis. The box score offered clues about how they had done it: Knicks stars Jalen Brunson (16 points in 7 of 18 shots) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17 in 3 of 12 shots) had nights outside the nights, while roles players like Josh Hart (26 in 11 of 16 shots) collected the slack.
The next game, a 122-97 victory over the clippers, offered more evidence. James Harden shot 2 of 12 with only seven points. Kawhi Leonard was 4 of 11 by 11 points. Then came a 120-112 victory over the Warriors in which Stephen Curry ended with 37, but it was an atrocious 6 of 20 behind the 3-point arch.
It was during the next four weeks, during a stretch in which the Lakers won 13 of 15 games and shot in the west conference classification, which the coaches and explorers of the league began to examine that gain on the Knicks by clues about what the Lakers had been doing. They had gone from the twenty best defense of the league during the first three months of the season to the first.
How did a team without his best defensive players kept Brunson and cities for a combined 30%shot? What about Harden and Leonard? Curry? Was these bad nights? Or the Lakers, with traditionally small alignments, invented some type of non -traditional scheme that could suffocate the largest stars in the NBA?
The ESPN analyst, Kendrick Perkins, postulated that he was simply admitting the 3 -point shot and the daring teams to shoot out of the games. Others pointed out the defensive work of Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent. An explorer told ESPN, “I think they are just playing very hard.”
No one was wrong. But nobody had found an explanation that captured why the Lakers were closing the teams without their two best defenders.
And, perhaps the most important thing, nobody knew, if what the Lakers were doing would work when I am most: with a NBA championship at stake.
It was around This time, Duke’s former coach Mike Krzyzewski sent a text message to his former player, the chief coach of the first -year Lakers, JJ Redick, to see it. Krzyzewski had always seen NBA games, but had been paying attention especially close to the Lakers this season.
“I communicated with him and said: ‘Who the hell would have predicted that you could teach the defense?'” Krzyzewski joked.
Redick won a player of the year in Duke, but at the beginning of his career, defense or his lack of the NBA, he had kept the Sarto to Redick from the floor sometimes. Finally, it improved enough to play significant minutes for the clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans pelicans.
“What they are doing seems very simple,” said Krzyzewski to ESPN, “but in reality it is a great preparation. They make it where the smallest percentage shooters of the other team are taking more shots.”
Could sound Simple: make it difficult for the best players of the other team score while encouraging less dangerous shooters. But the scheme of the Lakers is much more complicated than that, and Redick and his NBA staff were born outside the low season analysis and their staff about how the referees of the NBA defenses against the referees against the modern crimes of the NBA.
Even with a brilliant individual defender as Davis, who is as good as a tire protector as in the league, it is practically impossible to slow down the modern NBA superstar in the pick-And-Loll actions in space due to the amount of 3-point shooting.
Most teams focus on acquiring perimeter defenders to at least slow the superstars before meeting a background defender like Davis. But with the way the referees call hand verification fouls now, even that is difficult.
The Lakers entered the season with another problem: two perimeter defenders one by one weak as their initial guards in D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. Therefore, they developed a defensive scheme to mitigate that vulnerability, and save Davis from an exhausting amount of work as a defender of the background.
The Lakers, he thought, would create the illusion of a floor full of people for the ball handling instead of channeling everyone to Davis.
It worked in Spurts during the first half of the season. But the defensive scheme of the Lakers hardened once Finney-Smith changed it at the end of December and became a larger part of the rotation a few weeks later.
Star players will always find ways to score. What the Lakers do is use analysis to break down the less efficient shots that each star player takes and then try to force them those Shots, unlike its most efficient shots.
The Lakers limit the shots in the painting: only 39.9% of the shots tried against them come from inside, the third lowest rate of the NBA, per geniusiq, a site of sports analysis with AI, and Force 3s; 49% of the shots they face come from Deep, the second highest in the NBA.
Consider that first game of the Knicks: the Lakers swarmed Brunson and the cities, forcing them to move to less dangerous offensive players such as Hart, thousands McBride and Priceus Achiuwa. Brunson and Towns were played for an average of 1.37 players for trial attempt, the third they faced in a game this season, by Geniusiq. On the contrary, Hart and McBride faced 0.92 for attempt, the seventh lower brand in a game in which they combined for 20 or more attempts to shoot.
And who defends the less dangerous players will aggressively help the most dangerous, often leaving their player completely open, as Vincent did in a play with remaining 9:53 in the fourth quarter, when he left McBride to obstruct a lane of passes to Brunson, whom he was already being denied by Max Christie.
This is intentional. The Lakers send a double team inside the arc to the second highest rate in basketball, only the thunder of Oklahoma City. In the aforementioned play in the garden, McBride picked up his dribbling near the top of the 3 -point arch, realized that the Lakers had left him completely alone and decided to shoot. He shot.
The ball fell directly to the hands that await James, who interprets what Redick describes as a “field marshal” role in the scheme.
Redick placed James In the center of this decision -making tree, trust its intellectual basketball coefficient to call the coverage and adjustments on the march. “Quarterback is an offensive position, but he is the field marshal in [our] Defense, “said Redick.” Much of that is his voice and his intellectual coefficient. “
Look at the Lakers closely in defense, and James is the director, constantly pointing to where his teammates should go, and when.
“There was a play in the first half where [Reaves] He turned on in a great, “said Redick after a recent victory over rockets.” In half second, Bron shouted: ‘Scram! SALT, AR! Get out of here! Games like that really connect our defense. “
The Lakers have fought when James is not on the court, playing that role as a field marshal. They fell significantly when James suffered a strain of the left groin during a March 8 game against the Boston Celtics. But they synchronized once James returned from that injury on March 22. From January 30 to the end of the regular season, it was occupied by the sixth place in a permitted 3 -point field percentage. He also defended the eighth 3 -point attempts per game during that period.
In other words, the Lakers renounced many attempts of 3 points, but the teams did not do many of them. According to Geniusiq, the opponents have triggered 36.8% in triples open against the Lakers since January 30, the third best rate “allowed” in that section.
Because? Because the Lakers are forcing the less efficient shooters to the opposite teams to take those 3.
As? When communicating until they lose their voices, sometimes literally.
James leads the choir when he is there, but Jarred Vanderbilt, Finney-Smith and Vincent also enter that role when James is not on the court. There is also a constant direction from the lateral line during defensive possessions. The assistant coach Greg St. Jean is often hoarse when he bark coverage.
The result has been a defense that has had a much better performance as a whole than its individual defenders could suggest. “People could look at us and say that we are leaving,” Reaves told ESPN about alignments often without the Lakers centers without a traditional tire protector after Davis’s trade to the Mavericks. “But we also have five types that have 6 feet 7 inches and beyond … and when we are playing well, we are all on a rope.”
Sometimes, that may seem like a zone defense since the Lakers pack the paint and turn to close the holes and pass lanes. But it is not an area. It is a mixture of modern analysis and old school, the style denial of Bobby Knight of whoever goes from good shot.
The goal is to play the percentages. To interrupt what the other team wants to do as much as possible. To force great players to have bad or average shots. But also to Cajole’s average players to shoot more giving good shots.
You need time and confidence in the scheme to play in this way effectively. When that trust fails, the defense does so. Sometimes spectacularly. But it is the best opportunity that the Lakers have after exchanging two of their best defensive players.
And in the first round against Anthony Edwards, one of the most dynamic scorers of the NBA, and the shooters, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team with alignments that can be large or small, the defense of the Lakers is about to be tested once again.
Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as a NBA reporter dedicated to the west medium region before changing his current role in April 2021. The Native of Flint, Mich. He graduated from the Western Michigan University and is an author/co -author of three books: “Waste,” “Search for Ethan talents” and “All in: The Kelvin Torbert Story”. He is a proud father of a son, Ethan.
Allen Park, Mich. – The general manager of the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes, says he is willing to exchange or lower again to obtain “the right guy” in the draft next week. And similar to the previous drafts since he assumed the position in 2021, Holmes, whose first selection will come in selection No. 28, will not pursue the needs, but will remain aggressive for a player to Detroit.
In 2022, Holmes uploaded 20 places, from number 32, to take Alabama, the open receiver Jameson Williams with the 12th selection.
In 2023, after an unpredictable beginning of the team of the teams against the lions, many surprised when the sixth general selection changed to the Arizona cardinals for the selections of 12 and 34 years. There, the Lions grabbed the Alabama corridor Jahmyr Gibbs and the Iowa Jack Campbell supporter.
Until now, the Holmes process has worked.
Since 2021, the Lions have selected six players under the leadership of Holmes that have been selected for a Pro Bowl, including Gibbs, which is the most important in the league in that period, according to ESPN’s investigation.
“I think that in the first two years, there was probably a little more, because we were like a list, it was like, ‘man, we need this, this,'” Holmes said during the press conference prior to Thursday’s Draft. “As I told them at that time, man, we need everything. So, not only was there a position or anything. We just needed very good soccer players.
“We have many really good football players 1745000315But I don’t think where we are now as a list will diminish my desire to want to go looking for more football players. “
Detroit ended with the best 15 victories in the franchise last season, but Washington’s commanders were upset in the Divisional Round of the NFC.
The team could benefit from chasing their greatest needs, such as finding a guard to replace Kevin Zeitler, who signed with Tennessee this low season, or add a young edge corridor to match Aidan Hutchinson to strengthen the defensive line or select a defensive Tackle. However, Holmes has learned to be patient on the weekend of the draft, which has won respect within the NFL circles.
“One thing that I love about him is that he doesn’t care where he gets his boys, but identifies where those boys are and simply takes them,” said ESPN Draft analyst Jordan Reid. “And identify those types that are Detroit lions and embody everything about them.
“… he really doesn’t care about the consensus on the positional value of men’s draft or whatever.
Until Thursday, Holmes said he has not received calls from teams interested in Selection 28, but that he does not rule out any scenario that makes the lions a better team.
“We are not going to get to the players just to occupy a position. That is what we do not do,” said Holmes. “But it’s like you said, [the media is] Always trying to find out what we are going to do. “
Then he compared the next edition with watching a new movie.
Wrestlemania Week is here. The annual event attracts the eyes and attention of many of the casual fans, since it serves as the end point of many long stories and puts the table for what will come in an busy year. Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas does that exactly with a couple of incredible events scheduled for the two nights.
On night 1, a triple threat match between the Roman reigns, the holders of Seth Rollins and CM Punk with boiling tensions among the three men with Paul Heyman trapped in the crossfire. Things began to go sideways between them in the Royal Rumble and only intensified even more in the elimination chamber. Now, Punk lives a life of a lifetime with leading the biggest show of the year with Heyman, a legitimate friend, in his corner.
And night 2 could be even more full of drama. The indisputable wwe champion, Cody Rhodes, puts his title on the line against John Cena in the main event after Cena returned the heel in the elimination chamber and presented Rhodes with the help of Rock and Travis Scott. Now, Cena seeks to do some history and capture its 17th World Championship in the process.
The rest of the billboard presents some incredible clashes and titles in the line. It is noteworthy that Royal Rumble’s winner Jey Use, challenges the worldwide heavyweight champion Gunther after a wild construction for his confrontation. Use had an incredible moment in January when he eliminated Cena to win his title opportunity in the greatest stage of all. Gunther has been assault in the previous weeks, including Jey’s presentation to the ropes of the rings while hitting his twin brother Jimmy.
On the female side, the wwe female champion, Tiffany Stratton, will put her title on the line against the legendary Flair of Charlotte. Stratton and Flair recently did personal things in a verbal confrontation that went viral and suddenly there is much more interest in a game that seems to go aside at any time. There is also the epic triple threat match for the women’s world title among champion Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, since the three have fought it during the last month in RAW.
Take a look below in the confirmed matches for Wrestlemania. Wrestlemania 41 Streams lives in Peacock on April 19 and 20 with the main card from 7 pm et.
wwe Wrestlemania 41 Card: John Cena, CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Five Matchs Lapsed Fan needs to know for 2025
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Where to see Wrestlemania 41
Date: April 19 and 20 | Location: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas
Time: 7 pm et (4 pm et for pre-show)
Television/Transmission Channel: PEACOCK (Subscription is required)
Roman Reigns vs. Cm punk vs. Seth Rollins: The Royal Rumble planted seeds for an important triple threat game. Punk eliminated Reigns and Rollins. During a ring fight, Rollins put aside Reins to trample his head on the steel steps. Rollins hit the elimination chamber again, trampling punk after being eliminated by his rival, allowing dinner to steal the victory. The superstars took another step towards a three -way dance in the episode of March 10 of RAW. Reigns returned from an absence of six weeks, attacking Rollins and Punk during his steel party. In addition, Reigns’s manager Paul Heyman owes his former Punk client a favor after Punk joined the Reigns Survivor series team. Heyman was comforting Punk after the game before Reigns attacked Punk in the ring. The Triple Threat Party became official in the episode of March 21 of Smackdown. This match will lead night 1.
wwe Women’s Championship – Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair: Stratton and Flair are world champions in drastically different stages in their careers. The first time that the wwe Stratton female champion makes her debut in Wrestlemania this year. No one has had more female titles than 14 times Flair World Champion. “The Queen” returned from an injury to win the Royal Rumble Women and win a shot in Stratton’s belt.
United States Championship – The Knight (c) vs. Jacob Fatu: Fatu defeated Braun Strowman in a last game to become the number 1 contender for the US Knight championship.
Jade Cargill vs. Naomi: Cargill is thirsty for revenge. In November, Cargill was discarded from television after being brutally attacked behind the stage. Naomi took a step forward in Cargill’s absence to help Bianca Belair defend the wwe women’s team championship. Cargill returned in the March elimination chamber and brutally hit Naomi. It was later revealed that Naomi was the culprit. Rivals will resolve matters in Wrestlemania.
World Tag team championship – The War Raiders (Erik and Ivar) (c) vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods): The new day gets another crack in the titles of World Tag Team. His recent game for the title ended in chaos after Ivar hit Woods with a steel chair presented by The New Day. Post Match, Kingston and Woods placed the label team champions with an assault focused on their previously injured necks. Raw general manager Adam Pearce reserved the rematch for Wrestlemania.
The great American vs. King Mysterio: The great American is a new fighter, who is definitely No Chad Gable – in the raw list. Since the American emergency, which coincided with Gable, traveled to Mexico to learn the art of wrestling, has been hanging out with the fact of Americans. Mysterio and the LWO have had long -standing problems with Gable and American, and after a recent defeat in LWO against American and The Creed Brothers, Rey demanded a Wrestlemania match with a American to solve the score.
World Heavyweight Championship – Gunther (c) vs. Jey Use: Use surprised everyone by winning the Royal Rumble Male. Few predicted that the “main event” Jey would overcome a stacked field with dinner, cm punk and Roman reigns. Use is the helpless who went to Wrestlemania who had never defeated Gunher. For use, it is An opportunity to demonstrate your worth. For Gunther, it is a makeup for last year’s deficiency against loser Sami Zayn.
Undisputed Championship – Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena: The most commented moment on the moment that left the elimination chamber was the shocking turn of the dinner heel. Cena won the male camera game to ensure an opportunity in a reign of the world title of the 17th record. Dinner added serious fuel to the fire aligning with the rock to overcome Rhodes to a bloody pulp. Rhodes vs. Dinner will close Wrestlemania 41 Night 2.
Female world championship – Iy Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley: Belair obtained his chance in the World Women’s Championship by winning the female elimination camera match. The majority predicted that it would face Rhea Ripley; However, Sky’s victory at Monday Night Raw shook things. After Ripley’s revenge with Sky ended up in a double disqualification with Berair as a special guest referee, the announcement was made that Wrestlemania’s game would now be a triple threat.
Intercontinental Championship – Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio: Penta has been Red Hot since his debut in wwe and recently announced that he was pointing to the intercontinental championship. Balor had also set his look in the title, and although he lost to Breakker in a March Championship match, he recently covered Penta in a team game after Breakker accidentally hit Penta with a spear. Meanwhile, Mysterio has been next to most of that action in the middle of the growing tensions of Balor with his teammates of Judgment Day.
Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre: The tensions between priest and McIntyre date from Wrestlemania 40. McIntyre defeated Rollins to win the world heavyweight title last year, but did not enjoy his time as Wrestlemania for a long time. Priest successfully charged his money briefcase in the bank in McIntyre that night. Priest has remained a thorn on the side of McIntyre. The priest eliminated McIntyre in Rumble and Chamber matches. McIntyre avenged the camera, hitting a claymore kick that allowed Paul to fix the priest. The general manager of SmackDown, Nick Aldis, made the official game after repeated fights among the rivals.
wwe female label championship – Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodríguez (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria: Bayley and Valkyria crossed a gauntlet of the label team in the episode of April 11 of Smackdown to gain an opportunity on the day of the trial.
AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul: Styles and Paul have recently had numerous clashes. Styles rescued Comedian Andrew Schulz de Paul in the episode of March 17 of RAW. His party became official in the episode of March 31 of RAW.
WrestleMania 41 Predictions
Randy Orton vs. TBD: Orton was originally scheduled to face Kevin Owens in the event, but Owens was forced to withdraw from the game due to a legitimate neck injury that will require surgery to repair. With Owens outside the image, Orton has spent the last two weeks of construction for Wrestlemania begging SmackDown General Manager for a match to reach 20 appearances in the event. There have been some teasing of Aldis coming out of retirement for a game, but the leadership is not clear since only Sikoa has begun to rummage in Orton’s business.
Nintendo Switch 2 is nearly here, but as with all unreleased gaming hardware, there are plenty of questions still to be answered.
Now that we’ve gone hands-on with the Switch 2 hardware and many of its launch window games, we feel we’re in a position to give our answers to at least some of these questions.
That’s why, last week, we took to social media and the VGC Discord server, asking readers and Patrons to ask us any questions they have about Switch 2 and its software.
Below are the answers to more than 90 of these questions, spanning a healthy 8,000 words or so. You’ll need a warm drink and a blanket for this one.
Some brief housekeeping here: we’ve tried to gather questions into categories to make it easier to navigate. To avoid repetition, we’ve gathered similar questions together and answered them as a group. Also, if you asked us a question but it’s not listed here, it’s only because it can’t be answered at this stage. Literally every question we were asked that we could give an answer to can be found below.
That said, let’s get going.
Does the ‘free-roam’ part of Mario Kart really add anything or will everyone just skip it? Scott Dickinson via X
It’s too early to tell, because the only chance we had to try free-roam at the demo event was when waiting to start a Knockout Tour (the big online battle royale elimination race), so I must have had about two minutes in total with it.
It’s going to live or die by what there is to see, do and (maybe) unlock while free-roaming, because if it’s just driving around aimlessly with no purpose then that’s only going to appeal to young players. Thankfully, the new Mario Kart World Direct shows there are at least P Switch missions and hidden coins in Free Roam mode, so I’d imagine Nintendo has something substantial here, because something this disruptive for the series won’t have been half-baked.
Mario Kart – We’ve seen around 50ish characters but know the number is 84 – which characters are in that weren’t shown in the trailer? Hamzah Abbas via X
To be honest, at the time of writing nobody knows the full character count. We’ve seen around 50 separate characters but in the demo – which had 60 slots – separate outfits had their own slot. It feels like the sort of situation where there are a lot of hidden characters and outfits to discover in this one so I’d be surprised if we got a definitive number before the game’s release. Indeed, the character select screen in the Mario Kart World Direct had 13 pages, with 12 slots in each, so that’s more than 150 slots.
How distinct did Mario Kart World feel from Mario Kart 8? Does the open-world aspect feel like a cool new addition or just bloat? tomat via X
Actually, it was the Knockout Tour mode that made it feel different from Mario Kart 8. Like I said above, I didn’t get to try the open world element for too long, but doing a Knockout Tour with 24 racers is a level of carnage I haven’t seen in a Mario Kart game before, and genuinely made it feel like this isn’t just the same old Mario Kart but with new tracks.
Who would win in a fight: the Cow from Mario Kart World or the mini character from Welcome Tour? Christopher Dring via X
Cow wins every time.
Cow wins every time.
Switch 2 Q&A: Welcome Tour
Is Welcome Tour worth spending money on? And if so, how much do you think is reasonable? Chewy Bitems via Bluesky
How extensive is Welcome Tour and do you see it as a title that people would play after using it to explore the features of the Switch 2? NookGaming via X
From what little you played, does Welcome Tour feel like a “robust piece of software” to you? Does it strike you as something worth paying money for or does it come off as a glorified tech demo? Ersatz via Discord
Are the Welcome Tour interactive bits as surface level as they seem? They seem closer to the Labo tech demos than a game Jordan Weatherby via Bluesky
Is Welcome Tour worth $10? Grail via X
It’s been done to death but is there enough content in Welcome Tour that you could see it selling or will it end up just being a forgotten launch title like 1-2 Switch? HisNameIsGeo via Discord
Would you play anything in Welcome Tour more than once? Scott Dickinson via X
Understandably, Welcome Tour is the game that received the most questions, probably because it was the most controversial of the titles revealed by Nintendo during its Direct.
As with the other games on display at the hands-on event, it’s too early to tell whether Welcome Tour is going to be value for money – that’s what the full review will be for.
What I will say is that I enjoyed what I played of it, because it absolutely has the charm you would expect from a Nintendo game. From the silly Super Mario Bros 4K mini-game to the fact that your character slips and lands on their backside when they try to skate over the surface of the Switch 2 screen, there’s plenty of character here.
There’s some replay value to be had here, in that some of the mini-games have high scores and others have harder variations which can be unlocked.
The jury’s out for now, then, but it’s clear that this isn’t just a half-hearted tutorial and there’s been a real attempt to make it entertaining. No doubt there will be some people who will outright refuse to buy it on principle, no matter what, but hopefully those who are open-minded about it will get enough here to get their $10 worth. We’ll soon see.
Welcome Tour takes place in a museum shaped like a giant Switch 2.
Switch 2 Q&A: Metroid Prime 4
Does Prime 4 feel like a significant step up in terms of visual quality for the series? It’s not an ideal reference point but does it look noticeably different to the Prime remaster? Matthew Williams via Bluesky
Is there a noticeable drop in visuals when choosing the 120fps version of Metroid? CliffjUK via Bluesky
It definitely looks better than Metroid Prime Remastered. I was only able to play the performance mode (which is 1080p and 120ps) but it looked fantastic. There’s also the option for a quality mode which runs at 4K and 60fps but I wasn’t given that option during the demo. Regardless, if you put Prime Remastered and Prime 4 side-by-side there’s a clear jump in fidelity.
Is there a “Here’s the story so far” blurb or cutscene at the start in Metroid Prime 4 to catch you up on the events of 1-3? Or did the demo just drop you straight you in? JamieH1224 via Discord
The demo did open with a cutscene. It has a bit of text explaining that Sylux and his Space Pirates have attacked Federation facilities, and that Samus has been sent to the planet Tanamaar to defend one of these facilities. It’s not clear if this is the same opening cutscene from the full game or just one made up for the purposes of the demo but either way, rest assured that you’ll get some sort of “here’s what’s going on” briefing when you start the main game.
How do the mouse controls feel when playing Metroid Prime 4? Valkian via Bluesky
Of the four mouse-supported games I’ve played on Switch 2, Metroid Prime 4 is easily the most complex because it still requires you to press some of the face buttons on the right Joy-Con 2 to do things like enter Morph Ball mode. That means I’m going to need a bit more time with it before I can find a hand position that lets me play it comfortably.
How easy is it to naturally switch into Mouse Mode for games like Metroid Prime 4 and do you view it as something that more than a handful of developers will want to utilize in their games based on the comfort level of doing so? Shae via Discord
In Metroid Prime 4 was there a moment of misunderstanding motion controls when you switched to mouse or did it know that’s what you were doing right away? mattzere via X
The switch (ahem) from twin-stick to mouse controls is so seamless it’s ridiculous. If you’re holding the right Joy-Con 2 in your hand, using twin-stick controls, you simply turn it and sit it on the desk (or your leg) and you’re controlling it like a mouse instantly. There’s no pause while the optical sensor kicks in, and no need to hit a button or enter a pause menu to switch to mouse controls. As soon as you sit it down, it’s working. It’s really impressive.
Will Metroid Prime 4 have a stick + gyro setting available, like Prime Remastered (i.e. without the mouse)? Kévиɴ via Bluesky
Yup. I mainly played the demo in mouse mode but I did try the gyro aiming for a second. I believe (but don’t quote me on this) that it’s twin-stick controls, but then you hold one of the shoulder buttons (maybe L) and it switches to gyro aiming.
Mouse controls make aiming a breeze in Metroid Prime 4.
In Donkey Kong Bananaza, what do you actually do in the game? Hamzah Abbas via X
Bananza’s an interesting one, and it’s going to require a longer playthrough before it fully shows its hand. It’s still not clear whether it’s being developed by the main Super Mario Odyssey team but the engine certainly feels like Odyssey, especially because there are lots of big glowing bananas hidden around the stage I played, which are collected in a similar way to the Moons in Odyssey.
Whereas the Moons were collected by performing a bunch of tasks, however, so far it looks like these bananas are just hidden in the stage and you have to smash through the walls and floors to find them. Again, though, that could just be the section I played, and things could get more varied later.
This has happened to me before with a big first-party Nintendo game. When I first played the demos of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D World, I remember thinking they were fairly straightforward, and it wasn’t until I reviewed the full game that the true scope of the creativity was revealed. I hope that’s the case here, so the jury’s out for now.
In the DK Bananza reveal, it showed DK punching an enemy, then kicking him towards another. Does it have much scope for combos? Grail via X
I didn’t encounter a lot of combat in the demo, and what I did encounter was often resolved by grabbing a big boulder from the ground and throwing it at my enemies (because that was what the tutorial was teaching me). DK does have a punching combo, which I saw as he was punching through the walls, but for now it’s not clear how varied the combat gets.
Does Donkey Kong Bananza look visually like a next generation game? Or does it look like an enhanced Switch 1 title? TurtleDuck via Bluesky
It definitely looks like a game that would be impossible on the original Switch. Putting aside how sharp it looks and how smooth it moves, there are things in here that some people might take for granted but would probably be too processor-intensive for the Switch, such as the entirely destructible environment and all the particles that fly around when things are destroyed. It just looks altogether more polished than your typical Switch game.
Donkey Kong Bananza looks much better than a Switch game but its long-term gameplay is still an unknown quantity.
Switch 2 Q&A: Drag x Drive
What do you think of Drag X Drive? Is it right or is it just a novelty? cyberrb25 #7291 via Bluesky
Based on your short preview, can you see Drag x Drive getting the same passionate following Arms had? Or is this game more a glorified demo of the mouse controls? j.dbuta via Discord
Potential for Drag X Drive? Because this is the most publicity wheelchair basketball got in mainstream. MegaApple via X
Is Drag X Drive as intuitive as it looks? Grail via X
Drag x Drive is another game that seems to have gathered some interest, which is probably no surprise given that it’s the only entirely new IP that Nintendo introduced for Switch 2 – it’s the new equivalent of Arms, essentially.
I’ll have a full write-up giving my impressions of Drag x Drive soon, but the short version is that the mouse controls work really well, and are another good example of the ability to switch from mouse to another control system instantly.
The fact that you can roll around with two mice then shoot the ball by lifting a Joy-Con 2 and making a throwing motion, and that the game instantly acknowledges when you’re switching from an optical mouse to gyro controls, is really intuitive.
The main thing that remains to be seen is how much depth the game’s going to have, and whether there’s going to be any single-player modes. I enjoyed my time with it but the game relies a lot on passing, and if nobody on your team passes (as was the case when I played), there’s a lot of rolling around and doing nothing. If you can get two good teams to play it, it could be a blast.
How do the controls of Drag x Drive feel? is the ‘pulling’ motion of the joy-con tiring? Sloan / Sig via Bluesky
The controls are great. Using both mice to control the wheelchair feels really accurate, and while it obviously takes a little while to get used to the idea of turning by moving one mouse forward and the other back, once you get that nailed you have a great degree of control. I managed to fool an opponent at one point by steaming forward with the ball then slamming on the brakes, making them rush past me and giving me an open shot at the net.
Yes, though, I did feel a wee bit tired by the end of my session, but that may be due to the fact that the hall was very hot and I was wearing a jumper! It’s certainly the most active of the games that were on display at the event, however.
Drag x Drive – were there multiple arenas to play in? (like how Rocket League would re-skin the basic pitch) BradfordSweater via Bluesky
So far there’s no way of knowing. The demo only had the arena you saw during the Switch 2 Direct presentation. I really hope so, though, because it certainly needs some sort of variety to keep it engaging.
Drag x Drive perhaps used the mouse controls better than any other Switch 2 game I’ve played so far.
Switch 2 Q&A: Switch 2 Edition Software
In the Zelda games, is the increase in frame rate and resolution something that’s immediately apparent? CM30 via Bluesky
Yes. Anyone who’s played Breath of the Wild knows that the game really struggled at times, but as soon as you play a Switch 2 Edition and see how smooth it runs, it’s immediately clear that those issues have been resolved.
Is Tears of the Kingdom less blurry? haughty via Bluesky
Yes. It’s noticeably sharper.
Will Switch 2 Edition cartridges work on Switch 1, letting us play the Switch 1 version on the old system? (since these cartridges contain the Switch 1 versions of those games) Grasp of the Situation via X
This wasn’t confirmed either way to me at the event: all Nintendo has said is that Switch 2 Editions “will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code)”.
That said, just today Marvelous said its upcoming Switch 2 version of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is essentially a Switch 2 Edition game, and will work on the original Switch as well.
“The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a red 64GB game card that includes, in full, the Nintendo Switch game and the Upgrade Pack,” it said. “There’s no need to download the full game: simply insert the card into either a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 console, and the correct version will launch automatically.”
Do we know the definition in which Kirby and The Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is playing ? Example: 4K 60 in Docked or 1440p 60 or 1080p 120 in portable. Raph via X
As I understand it, it’s 1080p 60fps handheld and 1440p 60fps docked. Given that the Switch version runs at 30fps, that jump to 60 makes a huge difference. I played the Switch version on the train on my way to the event, so it was fresh in my mind, and the difference was night and day.
Breath of the Wild now runs silky smooth, even in areas where frame rate used to really chug.
Framerate aside, do the Switch 2 editions actually feel or look any different to their original counterparts in any significant way? HisNameIsGeo via Discord
It’s obviously a case-by-case basis, so it’ll be up to Nintendo (or whoever makes the Switch 2 Edition) whether they want to just boost the frame rate, boost the resolution, improve the textures / character models, add new features or a combination of these.
Will Switch 1 versions of Zelda games perform better on Switch 2, even without the paid upgrade? Scott via Bluesky
This hasn’t been confirmed yet, and will have to be tested. That said, given that they had a frame rate cap of 30fps but sometimes struggled to hit this (especially on Breath of the Wild) because the hardware couldn’t manage it, my educated guess is that they won’t look any sharper but may hit 30fps far more frequently, if not all the time.
Will the Switch 2 upgrades only be games with these Switch 2 Edition upgrades, or will there be general upscaling capabilities with Switch 1 games? Will they all be paid updates? I only really want to know how the Xenoblade games will play and look on the Switch 2. Poopy Face Plum Nose via Bluesky
Do non-enhanced Switch 1 games have any native benefits? dyergram via X
Again, like the Zelda question above, I don’t know about upscaling but I’m at least hoping for a general improvement in Switch games with an unlocked frame rate and/or dynamic resolution. Something like Wolfenstein: The New Colossus on Switch, for example, can drop to as low as 360p when it’s struggling, making it look far too blurry, so I hope that’ll naturally just become less of an issue with the bottleneck removed. Time will tell.
I can see how TOTK might look/feel better on more powerful hardware, but is BOTW a big enough upgrade to justify playing it on Switch 2? MD via Discord
Do you feel/see a significant upgrade in the Zelda titles? Think it’s worth the punt? Rossko via X
Do the Switch 2 Upgraded games justify the cost? Dag via Bluesky
Are the Zelda upgrades worth it? Scott Dickinson via X
This is obviously subjective, and I’d need to wait for final review versions to see how well Zelda Notes works etc, but if you haven’t played either game yet it seems clear to me that the Switch 2 Edition will be the definitive way to do so. Whether it’s worth buying the upgrades if you’ve already beaten both games will obviously come down to how keen you are to play through those adventures again.
Would you say the extra content for Jamboree is worthwhile? James via X
Again, that’s subjective, but I enjoyed what I played of the mouse-based mini-games. I didn’t get a chance to check out the camera-based games, but they looked a bit EyeToy on the Switch 2 Direct, so if that’s your kind of thing then it’ll probably be worth the upgrade.
The new mouse-based mini-games in Super Mario Party Jamboree are a fun addition.
Switch 2 Q&A: Mouse Controls
Does the mouse functionality feel like using one on PC? Shodan via Discord
Really would love to know about the mouse controls specifically, and how the Joy-Con feels to be used that way. Nerdy Jay via Bluesky
How does the mouse mode really feel – gimmick or genuinely good way to play? Scott Dickinson via X
I’ve written a lengthy opinion piece on the mouse controls already, but the short version is that mouse functionality works brilliantly. The optical sensor on the side of the Joy-Con 2 controllers isn’t a cheapo one that does a half-hearted job, it’s just as accurate as a PC mouse, as demonstrated by the likes of Welcome Tour and Metroid Prime 4, which require really sensitive movements.
As long as you can find a comfortable position to play, mouse controls on Switch 2 are the real deal. Speaking of which…
How’s the hand cramp after playing with that mouse? Bobby Lashley via Discord
How was the experience of using the Joy-Con in mouse mode, e.g. with Metroid? I think it sounds great (although I question how useful it is in TV mode, who has a table in front of them?) but had heard it was a bit uncomfortable for bigger hands. Ross via Bluesky
A lot of people have been worried that Switch 2’s mouse controls are uncomfortable and while those worries aren’t entirely unfounded, I think it’s one of those situations where your mileage may vary.
For me personally, when I tried games that require mouse movement and no more than a single button – which from the games I played means Welcome Tour, Drag x Drive and Super Mario Party Jamboree – I had no issue with comfort.
Remember the Joy-Con 2 is a little bigger than the original, and is shaped differently to make the triggers feel a little more like mouse buttons, so if you’re picturing turning your existing Joy-Con on its side, it’s not quite as extreme as that.
That said, as mentioned above, Metroid Prime 4’s controls are a little more complex, and it’s when trying to press the right Joy-Con 2’s face buttons for things like Morph Ball mode that you can get a little bit of a claw hand. Again, this might just require a bit of time finding a position that’s most comfortable.
Any word on whether or not there will be third party mouse peripherals? Metroid looks like it would be great with a proper mouse with buttons in the right places! Paramedic Papa via Bluesky
That’s what I’m hoping for, as per my opinion piece about it. It certainly does what’s needed of it in terms of accuracy as it currently stands, but I’d definitely welcome a standalone mouse aimed at those who want to play mouse-based games for longer, even if that means losing some functionality (like being able to pick it up and instantly swap to twin-stick controls).
I can imagine something like Civilization 7 becoming uncomfortable over a lengthy play session, though once again this comes with that caveat that I haven’t used it long enough to definitively make that claim.
How was mouse sensitivity options? Do you have your mouse normally super sensitive, relaxed or just default? How does the Switch mouse sensitivity compare? shiva – shynra via X
I don’t usually mess around with my PC’s mouse settings too much, I tend to have it a little more sensitive than the Windows default. We weren’t given access to Switch 2’s settings menu, but I’d be stunned if it didn’t have a sensitivity setting for the mouse given that, to all intents and purposes, it absolutely is a fully-functioning mouse.
Switch 2 mouse controls work great, but comfort may be an issue.
Switch 2 Q&A: GameCube Games
I was able to play four GameCube games during my session – The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, SoulCalibur 2 and Mario Smash Football (aka Super Mario Strikers).
Is the GameCube emulation good? Or is it problematic like Nintendo 64 was on Switch Online? Brandon via X
What’s the GameCube emulation like on the Switch 2? BacontheWizard via X
Are the GameCube games enhanced in any way and is Soul Calibur II as awesome as I remember? Shae via Discord
If you’ve previously used an emulator for a console that handles polygonal games you can probably guess what to expect here for the most part. All the polygonal 3D elements have been upscaled so they look razor-sharp, but any 2D pixel elements (such as the HUD, menus, developer logos etc) look comparatively blurrier as a result. Short of completely recreating every sprite, however, this is the best it could look in terms of fidelity.
This is not the same technique used as the Super Mario 3D All-Stars version of Super Mario Sunshine, where all the sprites and HUD elements actually were recreated at a higher resolution. While some may consider this disappointing, it does also mean we’re likely to get new games faster if there’s no asset rework going on at Nintendo’s end.
The only thing I saw that gave me some concern is that I’m not certain F-Zero GX was running at a smooth 60 frames per second. It was certainly running a little choppier than I remembered.
Now, there are a number of possible reasons for this, not least the fact that we’re dealing with software that’s still months away from release, but I hope we’re not heading for a situation where PAL players only get the 50Hz versions of games.
What gives me hope is that Nintendo’s own GameCube Switch 2 trailer shows F-Zero GX running silky smooth, but I’m also concerned that the UK version of this trailer shows the PAL box art for the game. I have no doubt this will all be resolved by launch and we’ll all be plummeting off the side of the track in glorious 60fps, but once I get my hands on the finished app I’ll be heading straight for F-Zero GX to see what’s what.
How do the GameCube games play on Switch 2? Particularly N64 games were, to be honest, a bit janky controller-wise (mainly the C buttons). Are there any noticeable compromises? Jim F via Bluesky
I was only able to play these with the official Switch 2 GameCube controller, so I can’t speak for how it will feel with standard Switch 2 controls. That said, the GameCube layout is far more similar to a modern controller than the N64 layout was so I see no issues at all, other than the handful of games which made use of the GameCube’s analogue triggers.
I’m not sure what the solution will be for this yet – when Super Mario Sunshine was re-released on Switch as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, they made it that the R and ZR buttons worked as light press and heavy press, so it might just be a game-by-game basis.
Speaking of the GameCube controller, by the way, it feels identical to the original, with the obvious difference being the lack of wire. It’s an odd (but nice) feeling to have the freedom of the WaveBird controller, but without the added weight.
The Switch 2 GameCube controller feels identical to the original, other than the missing cable.
Are the GameCube classics titles still streamed, or are they locally hosted on the console? And if it’s the former are there any worries with latency for inputs etc? I dread to think what F-Zero GX would be like with noticeable input lag. Matt via X
Does GX lag? General Greninja via X
This appears to refer to the Chinese version of the Nvidia Shield, which a number of years ago saw Nintendo doing a deal with Nvidia to make a number of GameCube and Wii games available to Chinese players, albeit streaming through the GeForce Now service.
All the games on the GameCube app on Switch 2 are downloaded and stored locally on the console, so there’s no streaming or any of that. There was no noticeable lag that I could see – that’s obviously not saying there isn’t any, as I’m sure once it’s out you’ll get the frame-counters on YouTube saying “hold on, there’s 5ms” or something like that, but what I’m saying is I could see no noticeable delay, with my human eyes, between me pressing the button and something happening on screen.
Does the GCN app allow for GBA cable connection? Like Wind Waker’s Tingle Tuner? SuperJoshXD001 via X
There’s no sign of that yet and I’d seriously doubt it. The best you could probably hope for is that one day the GameCube app might get a feature that emulates the GBA in the corner of the screen.
Which GameCube games supported widescreen? mattzere via X
I didn’t get to mess around with this too much but I was told that if a game supported widescreen back in the day, it’ll support widescreen again here.
How was Mario Strikers? Seems to be absent from any footage I’ve seen and wasn’t mentioned as a launch title but has been on the treehouse and events etc. Tom R via X
Mario Strikers performed perfectly well. Because it makes heavy use of sprites in its presentation the disparity between sharp polygonal characters / arenas and blurry HUD is probably the most noticeable here out of the four games I played, but the gameplay is where it matters and I’ve always had a soft spot for this one. Had a great time playing it again.
Do we know yet if the GameCube games start with everything unlocked or is that just a build used for demonstration purposes? Jake via Bluesky
All the GameCube games start like they would on a normal system. If you saw a demo online that skipped part of the game, that would have been for time purposes. The demo at the event allowed you to play for 10 minutes, and obviously Wind Waker’s intro alone would have killed most of that, so they had a save ready for that which starts you on the island right away, but that was more for our convenience on the day. When you get it on your own Switch 2, it should start up clean with no saves already on there.
How does F-Zero GX feel with digital triggers? Scott Russell via Bluesky
Again, I was using the GameCube controller so I can’t tell you, but F-Zero GX uses A to accelerate anyway so it won’t affect the game too much. The triggers are used for sharper turns, but unless you’re the best of the best and you take notes of your best lap times I don’t imagine you’ll miss the lack of analogue triggers in this particular game.
Switch 2’s digital triggers won’t be an issue for F-Zero GX but might be for other games that need analogue triggers.
Switch 2 Q&A: The hardware
How does the new Pro Controller feel? Do the grips feel any different? Because they look separated from the controller interface WeirdWitcher via X
The Switch 2 Pro Controller is outstanding, and all I heard throughout the day from other people was “have you tried the Pro Controller yet? It’s brilliant, eh?” I really want to spend more time with it but it was so comfortable. The triggers are nice and clicky, the sticks felt great, it’ll almost certainly be my main method of play at home.
Comfort-wise how does it feel? Mr Dave via Discord
Compared to the Switch 1, how comfortable is the Switch 2 for handling in handheld? RobbieTheBoo via X
Did you play the system in handheld mode and if so did it feel more comfortable than the original system? Or is the right stick placement still an issue? Jason Milner via X
I’ve never had an issue with the right stick placement so I might not be the best person to ask, but it does feel more comfortable than the original Switch to hold in handheld. I don’t think you should be expecting an absolute night and day difference – it’s still a big slab with a screen in the middle, at the end of the day – but the fact that it’s larger but (crucially) not thicker meant it feels solid in the hand without hitting Steam Deck bulk levels.
Will existing docks stay compatible? Keku_GameAccessory via X
Nope.
What are the speakers for the Switch 2 like compared to the OLED model? Matthew via X
It was hard to tell at a show where there were hundreds of Switch 2 consoles and TVs all blaring out their own games, so I wouldn’t want to say at this stage. I could certainly hear the one I was playing over all the other noise though, so it seems it’ll be loud enough, but it was impossible to compare the sound quality of Switch 2 and OLED side-by-side in that environment.
Question might be redundant given the event setup but how was the performance disparity between docked and handheld compared to Switch 1, where some games could be maybe less palatable depending on which mode you played it in? Alex_Freya via Discord
You’re right that it was hard to tell definitively at this stage but from what I played, I think the fact the handheld now outputs at 1080p with up to 120fps and HDR means there’s less of a disparity between handheld and TV play.
Other tech-heads may disagree but unless you have an 80-inch TV I’d say the difference between 720p handheld and 1080p TV is more noticeable than the difference between 1080p handheld and 4K TV, especially when I’d imagine not every Switch 2 game will be hitting 4K on TV, with many likely outputting at a lower resolution and using DLSS to upscale.
The extra power here will give developers more freedom to decide whether to prioritise frame rate or resolution, when the original Switch sometimes didn’t really allow them either (see the Doom, Wolfenstein and Mortal Kombat ports). Because the flaws will be less apparent, I’m predicting this means handheld and TV play will look a bit closer this time.
Indeed, if your TV doesn’t support HDR, 120fps or VRR then you’ll almost certainly find yourself in situations at times where it looks better on handheld than on TV.
The addition of HDR and improved resolution mean Switch 2’s screen matches up well to even Switch OLED.
How does the D-Pad feel on the Joy-Cons? Kyle via Discord
Was the D-Pad on the new pro controller good enough for SF6? Ryunato via X
As with the original Switch it’s still not technically a D-Pad, because it still needs to be four buttons for when it’s turned on its side and used as a standalone controller.
Again, I may not be the best person to ask this because I’ve never had issues playing games with this non-D-pad, but everything still feels perfectly fine to me. The buttons feel a tiny bit more comfortable but this might have been ‘shiny new thing syndrome’ and I’d need to have them both side-by-side at home to definitively decide.
But yes, I was throwing fireballs like a champ when playing Street Fighter 6 in handheld, so I had no issues there.
Are the triggers analog or still nope? Racing games on switch were literally useless. Origo via Bluesky
Triggers are still digital.
How fast is loading? Some games on Switch 1 took quite a while to load new areas. Chicobo via Bluesky
Loading is a lot faster, thanks to the faster storage. Obviously because you’re dealing with more graphically detailed games you might still be in for a wait for some of the more advanced titles in the future, but Mario Kart loaded courses relatively quickly, for example.
The most obvious example was when I tried the Switch 2 version of Breath of the Wild. The demo started from the main menu and I had to load the game save, which was almost certainly designed to show off how much quicker it loads. It’s so much faster, which was wonderful to see.
I think the Breath of the Wild loading time was the main thing that made me go ‘wow’ overall at the Switch 2 event I attended, though bear in mind that’s because I was already prepared to be wowed by Mario Kart World and the like. There hasn’t been a lot of chat about the faster storage but depending on how backwards compatibility is implemented it could hopefully lead to much faster loading in other original Switch games. Fingers crossed.
How did the screen seem after coming from the original Switch? Was it a notable difference in size/quality? Mike Wakely via X
Have you gone back to your Switch after playing S2? Did it make the old tech feel its age? Would love to know your thoughts on the new screen compared to the OLED. ciaran3012 via Discord
I usually use an OLED so I suppose the best thing I can say about it is that it certainly didn’t look worse, and when I went back to playing my OLED on the train home it didn’t feel like I had switched back to a superior display. The improved resolution certainly helps, and the addition of HDR goes a long way to helping too. I honestly don’t think anyone is going to pick this up and say they’re genuinely disappointed with the display.
Do the Joy-Con still feel good for those with small hands? Nora Brooks via Bluesky
I didn’t have any small hands nearby but I think you’ll be fine. The Joy-Con 2 controllers are bigger but they’re not an enormous leap in size, it’s more subtle.
The Joy-Con 2 controllers are bigger and more comfortable, but it’s not a night and day difference.
I’m most interested in how the sticks feel. I read they’re bigger than the original Joy-Con, do they feel bigger? FPS games were hard on Switch until I got Split Pad Pro, how’s Prime 4 with the new sticks? Alex⁷⁹ via Bluesky
Do the analogue sticks have much deadzone? Or are they as lovely as the left stick on the Gamecube? Grail via X
I didn’t get to do much deadzone testing but the sticks certainly do feel lovely. As with the increase in size, they do feel a little bigger but, again, it’s not an enormous difference to the extent that you’ll pick it up and go “wow, this changes everything”. They were perfectly comfortable and I didn’t have any issues with them during any of my play sessions.
Is it now realistic to play on TV just using Joy-Cons (now they are bigger and better suited to bigger hands) or in reality will we still need the Pro Controller? CliffjUK via Bluesky
Now that the Joy-Con 2 are bigger, do they feel better to hold individually and with the included Joy-Con 2 Grip? Iestyn Evans via Bluesky
I only used the Joy-Con 2 Grip once, and it was fine. To be honest, the Grip isn’t my set-up of choice with the original Switch (I’m a Pro Controller boy) but the new Grip certainly feels like a perfectly acceptable option when playing at home. I’ll definitely be going for the new Pro Controller, though.
That said, the one thing I do want to test when I get to try Switch 2 at home is whether the Joy-Con 2 have a stronger wireless signal. At home my dock is located behind my TV, and if I’m sitting on the couch the controllers often lose signal if the TV is in the way. With mouse controls meaning I’m going to actually be using the Joy-Con 2 controllers at home this time, I hope this won’t still be an issue.
Are peripherals from the Switch compatible with the Switch 2? Such as the Pro Controller? Steve via Bluesky
Yes, but they obviously won’t support certain features like mouse controls. The C button obviously isn’t on the original Pro Controller either, but it appears that game Chat can still be called up from the system menu so that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker.
The Switch 2 Pro Controller is extremely comfortable.
How does the performance compare to other systems like PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S? LP CA via Bluesky
That’s going to have to wait for direct-feed footage of multi-format games, but the general consensus seems to be that it’s at roughly PS4 level, but with extra features like DLSS allowing for other tricks like 120fps.
The Cyberpunk 2077 demo was probably the most telling because that was the only one there that seemed to be struggling a little bit, but it was also set in the most heavily populated part of the game, Dogtown, which appeared in the Phantom Liberty DLC. Phantom Liberty wasn’t even released on PS4, so the fact that the Switch 2 is even delivering something playable bodes well for the future.
Has Nintendo confirmed whether the stick drift issue has been fixed in the new Joy-Cons? Mark via Bluesky
The implication from spokespersons (spokespeople?) is that the issue has been addressed, but it’s also been confirmed that it’s not using Hall effect tech, which is the generally agreed solution to stick drift. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only solution, so we’ll need to wait for a combination of hardware teardowns and good old-fashioned time for wear and tear to see if it has indeed been resolved.
Is the touchscreen not a feature anymore? I don’t see why adding in mouse functions is so important when you can kinda do the same thing with a touchscreen. Poopy Face Plum Nose via Bluesky
The touchscreen is alive and well. Mouse functionality is best for playing at home, when the touchscreen can’t be accessed. Anyone who plays Super Mario Maker 2 on their TV will tell you how welcome mouse controls will be for a potential third entry.
How strong are those magnets for the joycons? Poopy Face Plum Nose via Bluesky
I forgot to pull it hard to check but the thought that they might come loose didn’t enter my mind at any point during the whole day, so they’re certainly getting the job done at least.
The magnets on Switch 2’s Joy-Cons certainly appear to be strong enough.
Switch 2 Q&A: Miscellaneous questions
About Street Fighter 6, I heard people on the FGC praise it even over the PS5 version. Do you think it’s on that level or not? cyberrb25 #7291 via Bluesky
I wouldn’t be bold enough to suggest anything like that after five minutes of play but the ability to play a really solid port of Street Fighter 6 on the move is a brilliant thing. It looks really good and seems to move at a stable 60fps, so I can see me absolutely rinsing that one on flights and trains when it comes out.
Is text-to-speech functionality for blind players available in any of the games you tried out? Victor Dima via X
That’s presumably going to be handled on a game-by-game basis, and since most of the demos didn’t provide access to the settings screens for each game it was impossible for me to tell at this stage. I hope so, however. Also, I apologise if you were reading this article with a screen reader and had to get through 6,600 words before reaching this answer.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 graphically up to par with the next generation on Nintendo Switch 2, and is Hogwarts Legacy more similar to the PS5 version? If not, what are the biggest flaws of these two games? Black Thin King via X
I’ve got no interest in Hogwarts Legacy so I didn’t play that, but Cyberpunk certainly isn’t on par with the current-gen versions. That’s nothing to criticise, it’s completely understandable given the size of the thing. Anyone expecting to compare Switch 2 games to PS5 and Xbox Series X and see Nintendo come out on top is setting themselves up for disappointment: the best they can hope for is identical performance in less intensive games. I would imagine that, for example, a Switch 2 version of a Nightdive Studios remaster would look on par with other formats.
The Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t compare to PS5, but that it runs Phantom Liberty at all is impressive.
A lot of comparisons online about Switch 2 being compared to PS4, PS4 Pro. With that, Elden Ring and Cyberpunk being ported, and as well as increased third-party support, how long do you envision Switch 2 having ports of current-gen games and keeping up with other platform releases? I realise not much is known currently about the specs. cyanide1980 via Discord
I think as long as Xbox Series X/S keeps getting multi-format games, Switch 2 will continue to be a viable option for a port. That’s not to say it’s on a par with them – it’s certainly not anywhere near Series X – but the fact that developers already have to cater for Series S and know they have to scale their new releases accordingly to make sure both Xbox consoles can play the game means it’s only another step to reduce that further for Switch 2.
Obviously, game development is nowhere near as easy as moving a couple of sliders left a bit and hitting an “Export to Switch 2 Cartridge” button, but if a lower-spec version for Series S is already part of the workflow for a planned game, you would hope that Switch 2 could also be considered, especially given there are likely going to be far more Switch 2 systems sold than Series S consoles.
A few years from now when we start hitting next-gen and we’re looking at PS6 and whatever Xbox comes up with, that might be when you start getting fewer Switch 2 ports. That said, when you consider how much a next-gen console could cost in a few years’ time, there will be a lot of players happy to stick with this generation from now, and third-party developers will continue to make games for those consoles as long as there’s a userbase there. And even then, not every current-gen game has to push the console to its limits.
Long story short, I think Switch 2 will be powerful enough to keep it in consideration for ports for a long time to come.
Are the games worth the price? Michael via X
That’s subjective. If you can afford it and you think you’ll get your money’s worth out of it, then they’re worth the price. Personally I think Mario Kart World is one of the few games where people who can afford it will likely agree they’ll still be playing it years from now. Your mileage may vary with other titles.
The last Nintendo I had was GameCube. As Switch 2 brings me back into the Nintendo-sphere, what’s the top 10 Switch 1 must-plays? cyanide1980 via Discord
I’m working on such a very list right now (albeit a much larger one – in case you can’t tell, I have a thing for that) and it’ll be on the site before Switch 2 launches. For me, you can’t go wrong with a combination of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Bros Wonder. I’d say Mario Kart 8 Deluxe too but I have the feeling Mario Kart World will have you busy enough.
Now that you’ve gone hands-on with the Switch 2, was there anything that caught you off-guard or surprised you, that others’ impressions didn’t prepare you for? j.dbuta via Discord
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but the HD Rumble really adds a new dimension to mouse controls. It’s easy to say “big deal, it’s just mouse controls, PCs have been doing that for decades” but there aren’t many mice out there that have force feedback too.
One of the Super Mario Party Jamboree mini-games has you using the mouse to pull back a little toy car and letting it go, and feeling it go ‘click click click’ as you pull it back is genuinely something I haven’t experienced in a game. I know it’s hardly Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time but I’m looking forward to seeing how the rumble can make mouse-based games more immersive, such as feeling the recoil when you fire a gun in an FPS.
The ‘click click click’ when pulling back toy cars in Super Mario Party Jamboree raised a smile.
Did you see the Switch 2 game cases on display and do they differ in size to the current ones? Steve via X
I did. They looked a tiny bit bigger but I’d need to see them stood next to each other to compare properly.
From what you’ve played of the brand new releases (Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Metroid) will they be of a game of the Year quality when stacked against other big hitters across the rest of the industry? Isaku via Bluesky
When you’ve got Grand Theft Auto 6 and who knows what else coming up, it would take an absolute maniac to predict 2025’s game of the Year at this stage. At the very least, I’d be stunned if Mario Kart and Metroid didn’t have Metacritic lighting up greener than the Grinch. Donkey Kong is more of an unknown quantity at this point, but I certainly didn’t dislike what I played of it.
Did your hands-on time with the Nintendo Switch 2 leave you afterwards basking in a warm afterglow, or was it a more typical post-hype comedown feeling? j.dbuta via Discord
A bit of both. I’m happy that it’s another solid piece of hardware from Nintendo and that the first batch of games all offered enough to make me eager to get my hands on the full versions. But you also can’t walk away from events like this and not feel a little disheartened that you now have to wait for the full release, even if it’s only a month and a half away now.
How do you feel generally about the console? Like will it elevate Nintendo or too early to tell? Mr Dave via Discord
I don’t think Nintendo can be elevated any higher at this point but I certainly don’t think it has anything to worry about with Switch 2. The price point may see a slower uptake initially, but the DS, 3DS and Switch all started off (relatively) slowly and built momentum as each major IP arrived on the system.
From what I’ve played of it and the quality of the hardware, I think the future is very bright for Switch 2. It’s almost certainly going to be another enormous success for Nintendo, and I couldn’t be more excited for the final system to be released so we can really put it through its paces.
It is stated that the game cards for the ‘Edition’ game ports of Nintendo 2 will also work on the original Nintendo Switch.
According to the Marvelous editor, who made the claim on his frequently asked questions page for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.
“The Nintendo Switch 2 edition is a 64 GB red card that includes, in its entirety, the Nintendo Switch game and the update package,” he says.
“There is no need to download the complete game: simply insert the card into a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 console, and the correct version will start automatically.
“Like most modern titles, there may be small updates or patches available in the launch to provide minor solutions and improvements, but you have the security: the complete game is on the game card, ready to play from day one.”
If it is true, this would mean that the Switch 2 Edition game cars would act similarly to Xbox’s smart delivery discs, automatically starting the correct version for two generations of platforms.
Nintendo previously stated that Switch 2 Edition games would contain both the Switch 1 game and their switch 2 update on the game card itself, but it was not clear if it would be executed in both systems.
VGC has asked Nintendo to comment on this story and update it when we receive an answer.
Nintendo announced its improved Switch 2 Edition lines during its direct presentation of Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this month.
While the vast majority of switch games work on Switch 2 through its backward compatibility function, each Switch 2 Edition game includes improvements on the original switching edition, such as better images or exclusive features.
So far it has been confirmed that six games have Switch 2 editions: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and The Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Za and Super Mario Party Jamboree.
The updates of the Switch 2 edition for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will be included for the members of Nintendo Switch online + Expansion Pack as part of their subscription, or can be purchased separately for those who are not at that level of subscription.
“I don’t want to talk about speculation and rumors. [I understand] That this is happening, but what is more important to me is what is happening at this time. “
Leverkusen’s executive president, Fernando Carro, said Alonso last week, was “comfortable” at the club and already planned for the next season.
The former head of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, has also been linked to Real last week amid speculation about the future of Ancelotti.
But when asked about Real’s potential interest, Klopp agent, Marc Kosicke, told Sky Germany, external On Friday that “Jurgen is very happy with his new role as Chief of Global Soccer in Red Bull.”
Klopp resigned as Liverpool’s manager at the end of last season after just over eight and a half years in Anfield.
The German took a position in Red Bull in October 2024 when he reiterated that he no longer imagined “aside.”
Alonso was linked to Real, Liverpool and Bayern Munich last year, but said at a press conference in March that he wanted to stay in Leverkusen after conversations with the club’s hierarchy.
The former Liverpool and Spain midfielder won the League and the Champions League during a spell of six seasons as a Madrid player between 2009 and 2014.
Alonso retired as a player after a three -year spell at Bayern Munich in 2017.
He moved to training with the U-14 team of Real Madrid the following year, before three years by team B of the Real Sociedad.
In October 2022, Leverkusen gave him his first managerial role in the football of the first team and, after assuming the second club from below in the Bundesliga, he took them to an end of sixth place.
Last season he guided Leverkusen to his first Bundesliga title and the German Cup in an impressive way. They also reached the Europa League final, but lost 3-0 against Atalanta, their only defeat in 53 games in all competitions.
The New York Giants are nearing the finish line for their draft prep. On Thursday they worked out Shedeur Sanders in Colorado. On Friday, they see Jalen Milroe in person. And on Saturday they’ll watch Tyler Shough throw in person. (The team has already met with Jaxson Dart.)
These private workouts are important to head coach Brian Daboll. At a pro day, a quarterback is working off his own script and with his own language. In these private workouts, you get to watch a guy learn your system and terminology. You learn how they learn, and you get a glimpse into how you’d teach the player.
In less than a week the Giants could well have their quarterback of the future. The common belief, as it stands today, is that they won’t take that player with the third overall pick, but they’ll be ready to hop back into the first round if needed.
The late-in-process workouts have raised some eyebrows around the league. Is there indecision within the organization? Is the owner butting in? My read on this is the Giants won’t take one of these quarterbacks at No. 3, but they’re preparing their options for later in the draft, be that a trade up or sitting at the top of the second round. This can obviously change since they’re in the middle of their information gathering process as you read this.
Something that is repeated annually this time of year is that a team wanting a quarterback will get back into the first round to secure the fifth-year option. The fact is that no team outside the first round has come back into the second half of the first round to get a quarterback since the Ravens did that with Lamar Jackson in 2018. So that’s a common refrain that hasn’t actually taken place in real life in the last six drafts.
QB shopping
Of course the Giants, Browns and Steelers could all take a quarterback within the first 34 picks. But who else could be lurking for a signal caller?
We know the Saints could also be in that group when you expand it to the top 40. The Rams shoot to the top of the list of teams that could take a quarterback in the first round. Matthew Stafford is a year-to-year proposition, after all.
I checked in around the league asking for other teams that could be in the market for a quarterback between rounds 2-4. A few sources pointed to the Jets, Raiders and Seahawks as potential teams that grab a quarterback in those midrounds, with a common theme that the new quarterbacks at each team are all essentially on pay-as-you-go deals.
The Miami Dolphins are the other team sources are eyeing as a potential quarterback-grabber in the second, third or fourth rounds. Miami has 10 picks total, including four picks in those three rounds, so they have the ammunition to do it.
The Dolphins missed the playoffs last year in part because they didn’t have a good plan for life without Tua Tagovailoa. They signed Zach Wilson in free agency, but he’s the only other quarterback on the roster. Skylar Thompson, the only QB the team has drafted since taking Tagovailoa in 2020, went 1-3 as a starter and is now a Steelers backup.
2025 NFL Draft comps for top-100 prospects: Best pro matches for Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and others
Kyle Stackpole
Dolphins deals on the horizon?
Speaking of the Dolphins, let’s take a closer look at them.
Last year, Miami made Jalen Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history in terms of average annual value. This week, GM Chris Grier is talking to teams about trading Ramsey because it’s in “the best interest” of the team.
Last year, Miami inked Tyreek Hill to a new contract that gave him the most guaranteed money by any receiver in NFL history. This week, Grier is fending off more questions about potentially trading Hill.
Last year, Miami signed Tua Tagovailoa to the largest contract in franchise history. This week, Grier did not mention Tagovailoa as a team leader when rattling off a few names.
Last thing first: sources I talked to weren’t that bothered by Grier’s omission. One source said Grier “isn’t wired for passive aggressive stances” and dismissed any potential controversy around it.
It is hard to imagine teams are going to give the Dolphins any reasonable compensation for Hill for Miami to move him. The 31-year-old just had his worst season since becoming a full-time starter and quit on his still-in-the-playoff-hunt team in the regular-season finale. Police were called to his home for a domestic dispute last week that saw no charges being filed and the case quickly closing.
And now Ramsey has played his final game for Miami. One league source said they were aware of Miami’s interest in moving Ramsey as early as the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Another source believes the Dolphins going public is an effort to gin up a market for Ramsey that just isn’t there right now. Teams like the Falcons and Raiders should have some level of interest if the price is right.
The three-time first-team All-Pro cornerback is entering his age-31 season and due $21.1 million in guaranteed money for 2025. The Dolphins are prepared to take on the $29.2 million cap hit to trade Ramsey next week (or before June 1), but sources say teams are balking at being on the hook for all of Ramsey’s 2025 salary.
It seems if Miami wants to get a deal done during the draft weekend, the Dolphins will need to pay some of Ramsey’s salary as well to facilitate the trade. Otherwise, Miami can just wait until June 1 when it can split his cap charge over two seasons and then deal Ramsey. If a team is still willing to pay his full salary, of course.
Raiders leaning RB
Plenty around the league believe strongly the Raiders have fallen in love with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. One executive from an AFC team went so far as to say it’s “a forgone conclusion” that Vegas will take him with the No. 6 pick.
I reserve the right to learn differently over the weekend to change my one and only mock draft publishing Monday morning. All of this presumes the Jaguars, also with a first-time GM, don’t take Jeanty at No. 5.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to see a draft where Jeanty is available by the time the Niners pick at No. 11.
Browns showing their hand?
Uhh … did you hear Browns GM Andrew Berry compare Travis Hunter to should-be-the-NL-MVP-every-year Shohei Ohtani? The Browns can use all of the shot clock they want with the No. 2 pick, but it doesn’t feel like much of a mystery who their selection will be.
Cousins trade not a forgone conclusion
It’s no stunner that Kirk Cousins remains on the Atlanta Falcons roster today. From a financial standpoint, I had been reporting for months that it made sense for Atlanta to hang on to Cousins through the new league year when he got a $10 million roster bonus for 2026.
But it wasn’t until the league meetings a couple weeks ago that I realized it may not be as simple as a team sending a fifth-round pick to Atlanta for the quarterback, should he wish to waive his no-trade clause for them. The way Falcons owner Arthur Blank talks, it is clear he expects to see something from the investment of $90 million for one year of play.
“Kirk understands his situation. He understands our own situation. He understands we’ve committed a lot of funds to him,” Blank told reporters in Florida earlier this month.
“I told (Cousins) that we will be as thoughtful and sensitive to him as we can be,” Blank said, “but we have a responsibility to the franchise — which we do. And he understood that, and he repeated that to me that he does understand. But he wanted to make himself clear on his own situation, which I thanked him for, and I understand, too.”
His $10 million bonus is subject to offsets, so if/when the Falcons deal him, that doesn’t appear on their books. The sunk cost should be the focus here, and sources pair it with Blank’s words to show the Falcons ownership may not be content with your little Day 3 pick for the quarterback.
Opinions vary on whether Cousins will ever wear a Falcons practice jersey again, much less a game uniform. Mandatory minicamp isn’t until June 10, so that’s the natural next deadline if he sticks on the roster through next weekend.
With the Browns signing Joe Flacco last week, a reunion with Kevin Stefanski now seems unlikely for Cousins. Depending on what happens next week, Pittsburgh and Minnesota are potential options, too.
But Cousins must OK any trade with his full no-trade clause. And if this drags deep into the summer and into the fall with the belief that some team will need a QB due to injury, there’s no guarantee the Falcons would be able to deal him anywhere.
Cousins’ kids will enter second and first grades next school year, and he moved them three times last year. The Falcons are aware that his family will be a huge consideration the later this goes.
Lastly, whether the Falcons deal Cousins next week or at some other point, I would imagine they would still sign a low-cost veteran QB to fill out the room at some point this spring.
Aaron Rodgers remains in contact with Steelers, no deadline given as QB continues to ponder his future
Bryan DeArdo
Steelers keeping door open for Rodgers
While the NFL world waits on a decision from Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers argue they aren’t waiting at all. They’re going about their normal pre-draft process.
Internally there is consternation about the position. There aren’t many coaches who aren’t wanting to get a move on with their offseason program. Even after Rodgers’ appearance Thursday on the Pat McAfee Show, there’s still hope in the building that the quarterback eventually comes there. But they aren’t waiting on him.
The Steelers can draft a rookie next week and still have enough room to sign Rodgers, who said publicly that money isn’t an issue. There will be a cutoff point for Pittsburgh, but I don’t think it will be at the moment they draft a rookie, if that’s what they do.
Rodgers could sign at any point between the publishing of this story and the draft, or during the draft, or after it. He is still not missing out on any on-field work, and he can always throw footballs with Steelers receivers at any non-Steelers facility available.
NFL casts wide net for draft invites
The NFL surprised a few draft observers this weekend when it announced 17 — and, a day later, 18 — players would be in Green Bay for the draft. Top picks like Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are no-brainers, but there are plenty of players who are no guarantee to be a first-round pick.
Players like Jalen Milroe, Malaki Starks and Maxwell Hairston could wind up being All-Pros in due time, but they are far from slam dunks in the first round next week. I take this as proof the NFL itself thinks there are too many wild cards in this draft after the first four or five picks.
I’m told the league has communicated to some of the players that they are welcome — but not required — to return on Friday night if they wish. Some of those green room moments have been painful to watch in years past as guys stick around throughout the night. But with enough fringe first- and second-rounders, there will at least be company in the room.
The league wants to strengthen the draft as a tentpole event, and it has gotten great returns from the cities the NFL has visited. But the whole reason for the event is getting players drafted, and some of those players need to be in the building. To have a draft go four, six, eight picks or so without getting a player to walk across the stage is not something the league wants.
Carr driving Saints departure?
To call it a cold war would be too strong, but clearly things between Derek Carr and the Saints haven’t been great since last season. He wasn’t giving any money back even though the team wanted him to. And now there’s word about a shoulder injury that could require season-ending surgery.
Despite external wishes, the Saints have been resistant to a rebuild for years. Surgery for Carr would seem to force the team into such a place. But sources I talk to aren’t convinced surgery is certain. There’s also an idea that Carr is trying to force his way out, but the disclosure of an injury that may require him to miss the 2025 season won’t have many teams in line to give anything for him.
Word of the injury puts — here’s that word again — external pressure on the Saints. Is that what Carr wants? He has a winning record (14-13) as the starting QB there and is going into what will be his final season there, for all intents and purposes.
New Orleans has done its work on quarterbacks this draft. After getting seven games out of then-rookie Spencer Rattler under less-than-ideal circumstances, the Saints could still have a decent enough idea he may not be a fifth-round Brock Purdy.
If there’s a GM who doesn’t give a bleep about external pressure, it’s probably Mickey Loomis. I can still see the Saints going best player available at No. 9 and, depending on how the end of the first round goes, potentially being aggressive for a quarterback.
Rising to the occasion
Let’s wrap this up on a positive note. I want to shine a light on a handful of prospects I’ve heard some great things about over the past month or so. The guys below aren’t the only high-character guys in this year’s class, but they are definitely worth highlighting.
Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku “could go in the first round,” one AFC executive tells me, in part because of how well he presented to teams during this pre-draft process.
Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka will probably get drafted higher than some other receivers ranked ahead of him. “As pro’s pro as you can get,” one long-time evaluator told me. “Unbelievable character on and off the field.”
TCU receiver Jack Bech will also go higher than anticipated “because of how he crushed the process,” a different source said.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard “has a special leadership IT factor to him,” said one coach who spent time with him.
And multiple sources across the league raved about the top Georgia players. Jalon Walker, Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams all impressed throughout the process.
“All those dudes know football,” said one assistant GM. “Kirby coaches them to understand the game of football and not just their own position.”
The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
Nintendo has finally detailed how American tariffs will affect the launch of Switch 2, and confirmed the increase in prices for a variety of console accessories “due to changes in market conditions.”
A new set of Joy-Con 2 controllers, for example, will now cost $ 95, an increase of $ 5. The Switch 2 Pro Controller and Switch 2 Chamber has also seen price increases from $ 5, up to $ 85 and $ 55 respectively.
But the $ 450 switch 2 in itself, including its $ 500 package with Mario Kart World, will not increase the price for now, Nintendo has decided. The cost of the key software launches Mario Kart World ($ 80 when purchased separately) and Donkey Kong Bananza ($ 70) will also remain unchanged “in the launch,” said Nintendo.
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Eurogamer becomes practical with Switch 2. Watch on YouTube
The news comes in the midst of a Fan Call Fund for Nintendo lower The Switch 2 price: something that seemed increasingly unlikely as the expected impact of tariffs became clear.
In fact, a statement of Nintendo Today makes it clear that price increases can still take place in the future, and not only for Switch 2.
“Other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions,” said the company.
Switch 2 orders in the US in the USA, which had been delayed, while Nintendo took stock of the fluctuating economic situation, now finally will begin next Thursday, April 24.
“We apologize for the retail request for a retail order and hope that this will reduce part of the uncertainty that our clients may be facing,” Nintendo added.
“We thank our clients for their patience, and we share their emotion to experience Nintendo Switch 2 from June 5, 2025”.
Eurogamer previously listened to an analyst who predicted that Nintendo would probably not increase the price of switch 2 in response to tariffs, since he already faced criticism of the cost of the console.
While a part of the Switch 2 consoles are manufactured in China, Nintendo has also used factories in Vietnam and has diverted most of its actions manufactured to the United States before the current US trade war-china in force.
The lords of the fallen faced a medium reception when it came out here in October 2023. I and many of the others had a dozen criticism with respect to the founding model, and despite the fact that some primary design problems have been mounted in any way, the developer Hexworks caught him a certain distance for longer than anyone could predict.
What many concepts would undoubtedly be its last replacement, model 1.7, came out here the last of December and delivered vital improvements to many facets of the sport. Hexworks was supposedly not achieved, for the reason that sport simply won but any other main.
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The lords without editing the fallen pocket are so vital, in truth, that the developer is calling it the two model of the motion role -playing play to souls. This does not simply regulate central mechanics and check so much sport, but also introduce unlikely options for first -year students that I do not suppose I have opened before such a sport.
CI The video games follow the steps of the myth of the fracture and two developers Hazelight Studios are needed to provide a good movement of a friend, who does precisely what he supposes that he will do it. The GO allows any participant to ask a friend, on any platform, not to personalize the sport, to play in the online cooperative. Because of this, anyone can now get the sport to separate, build a personality and play games all the instruction, which by the way has also remakes in this pocket. As soon as that is achieved, it is separated from being invited to periods through any person who possesses all sport.
Development is a small extra difficult to give an explanation, however, the developer has made a series of adjustments with 2.0 to assemble that they have viable. The progress of personality and loot is stored among the periods, however, the best host will store global development. Within the similar game, each player will save the progress of the main story personally, he will defeat the bosses and light beacons (bonfires). Vigor and booty drop for each and every person, and each player can relive each and every alternatives.
That is not all, 2.0 can be making a series of main settings for the game. Now there is a devout bounce button! The basic struggle has also been reviewed, with delicate blockade, an extra real weapon that deals with a softer movement with evasions sooner and completely notable sounds for all fighting struggles. There is even a Brandnew mechanic that allows you to use the threshold lamp to make a backup copy to the place where you should move.
In another place of these immense updates, you will also discover a cleaner user interface and some updates to the general interface. Here there are also a series of updates of attributes of the day, similar to the vigor (and automatic) assortment and a pair of alternative adjustments to the tide moment by moment.
Simply take a look! | Symbol credit score: Hexworks, Video Games
To proclaim this monument pocket, Lords of the Fallen is these days for sale on all platforms for up to 72% discount. The sales sessions vary through the platform, with some finished already at the time of April 23, others that go to the option possibly 1.
If it is nothing else, you should certainly obtain the movement of the good friend in Steam or your most popular platform, play academic games and detect the way it feels. The pocket is not living throughout the place in the second, however, it must wait for the rejection that on Monday, April 21.
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