Over at Snazzy Labs, Quinn Nelson has a great in-depth look at the changes coming to Appleβs Game Porting Toolkit with macOS 27 this fall. Paired with Metal 4, itβs a real leap over whatβs possible today, and Nelson showcases the difference well.
Thanks to the upcoming update, Nelson was able to use CrossOver, a Windows-to-Mac compatibility layer that allows PC games to be played on a Mac, to spotlight some impressive numbers on games ranging from Red Dead Redemption to the recently released 007 First Light.
Not all games Nelson tried showed the same leap in performance, but thatβs true on compatibility layers like Proton on the Steam Deck, too. Whatβs remarkable is that itβs all done in software and as Nelson points out, the advent of coding agents like Codex and Claude may help bring more PC games to Mac using the Game Porting Toolkit by reducing the porting costs.
Nelson also makes a pitch for an Apple gaming device. I agree with him that more than ever, the pieces, right down to a hardware-focused incoming CEO, are all there for such a device, and I remain optimistic. However, Iβve made the case for such a device for years now to no avail. Still, whether or not Apple builds gaming hardware itself, watch the full video above. Itβs a fantastic view of how far the Mac has come as a potential gaming platform since the advent of Apple silicon.
PlayStation has delayed the launch of the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick
The company says production delays have caused the hardware to be postponed
The PlayStation 5 peripheral will no longer launch on August 6, but "at a later date"
PlayStation has issued an update on the release of its FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, announcing that the hardware has been postponed.
The FlexStrike was originally slated to release on August 6, but now, in an updated PlayStation Blog post, the company has confirmed that "due to unexpected production delays," it "will launch at a later date."
"Weβre working to ensure we deliver the best possible experience to our players with FlexStrike, so weβre taking extra time to put the finishing touches on the product," PlayStation said.
"We apologize for this delay and look forward to bringing the FlexStrike experience to the community when it launches."
Pre-orders for the fight stick opened on June 12, but the company confirmed that players can check their order status through PlayStation Direct and will receive communications regarding their order.
"Players who pre-ordered through another retailer should look for updates directly from that retailer or contact them with any questions," it added.
The FlexStrike is a PS5 peripheral and costs $199.99 / Β£179.99.
TechRadar's senior reviews writer Harry Padoan got the chance to test out the fight stick earlier this year, writing that it "hits the right notes" performance-wise when tested against Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and is "approachable and straightforward to use," and "offers ultra-low latency in both wired and wireless capacities."
The Blood of Dawnwalker director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, says a delayed next-generation would be beneficial for Rebel Wolves
Tomaszkiewicz says it's "easier" to work with the current generation and PC
He says two more builds would multiply "the amount of work you need to do"
The Blood of Dawnwalker director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz isn't worried about the impact of what a delayed next-gen could mean for Rebel Wolves because working on the current-gen consoles is "easier."
It's unclear when the next-generation hardware will launch. Rumors suggest that the PS6 could launch as late as 2028, which would make it eight years between the start of the current generation, with Project Helix, the next Xbox console, also eyeing a 2028 release.
While Sony and Microsoft have yet to reveal how much their new hardware will cost, a delay in the next generation could be on the table as the companies wait for things to settle down and for consoles to become affordable again.
This would also mean studios won't have access to next-gen tech for quite some time to develop their games, which would force them to stick with current-gen.
However, for The Blood of the Dawnwalker studio, Rebel Wolves, this would actually be beneficial to the development team.
The Blood of the Dawnwalker is the first installment in Rebel Wolves' dark-fantasy role-playing game (RPG) series, launching later this year, and has already teased a sequel set in a modern timeline.
When asked by Eurogamer whether the next console generation being delayed would be an issue for the studio and the future of the game series, the director said, "It doesn't at all."
"To be honest, it's even better for us," Tomaszkiewicz explained, "Because when you have the game, and you know the systems and the features adjusted to these particular consoles, you know what you need to do. Always, a new platform is a new challenge: you need to learn it, you need to know what are your borders, what you can do, what you cannot do. And also, it's an additional build you need to create that you need to take care of later."
The director continued, saying that since The Blood of the Dawnwalker has four builds - PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and two PC builds, it's already a ton of work for testers, so another console generation to work with would be another challenge.
"Let's say we have four builds, and later on you want to deliver a patch for the players. You need to be sure that these changes work on the Xbox, on the PlayStation, PC one, and PC two," Tomaskiewicz said.
"When you have next-gen, you're adding an additional two builds, and it multiplies the amount of work you need to do. It sounds easy but you need to know that there is a group of testers who need to test every platform separately - not only this particular change but whether the whole game has no blockers, if you can finish it from the beginning to the end, and so on and so on.
"It's a huge effort, to be honest, and if we work on the consoles we have right now, it's easier, because we know how many builds we have and it's easier to manage."
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is here, and it looks like this remake has been a massive success. Ubisoft says that itβs already sold more than two million copies, with players all around the world discovering (or rediscovering) its wonderful 1700s Caribbean setting and all the twists and turns of its engaging pirate story.
Our own Resynced review saw the game awarded four stars out of a possible five, praising its many modernized mechanics and just how faithfully it adapts the 2013 original. Although the main review was handled by our resident Assassinβs Creed expert, Managing Editor Rob Dwiar, Iβve spent the last few days pouring hours into the game and am having an excellent time so far.
Iβm almost halfway through now, and thereβs already so much to like about it, as youβll see with some of the highlights below, but also one little thing thatβs been bothering me.
The visual upgrades are a huge success
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
You donβt need to have put Resynced side by side with the original Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag to appreciate just how much of an improvement the new visuals are. Itβs no hyperbole to say that this is the best-looking emtry to date, edging out the already stunning Assassin's Creed Shadowsthanks to its smaller but more detailed world.
The opening sequence has you parkouring your way through a lush tropical rainforest, showing off incredibly dense plants and little details like dangling vines that really help sell the setting. The gorgeous ray-traced lighting dances through the canopy superbly, light scattering down onto the little pools of water that are dotted throughout the jungle and reflecting off them realistically.
If you examine the layouts in detail, there have been loads of changes, but key elements from the original level layouts have been preserved smartly, like the fallen tree trunks that protagonist Edward Kenway darts across, so everything feels just right.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Itβs the same story when you reach the city of Havana, which feels larger and more bustling than ever before. The streets are packed full of non-player characters (NPCs) wandering around, chatting to one another, moving crates, or standing around market stalls to give the impression of a lived-in world.
As for the open sea, I donβt think another game has nailed the waves quite this well. The water physics are phenomenal, with countless waves that stretch off into the horizon. The seahere looks far brighter than the original game ever did, but rather than taking away from the atmosphere, I appreciate how inviting it makes it all look. This is a world thatβs just begging to be explored.
The visual overhaul extends to the gameβs cutscenes. The wooden 2013 character models are no more, replaced with far higher fidelity versions that look much more convincing. Faces are no longer stiff and awkward-looking, either, thanks to enhanced motion capture, making it much easier to get stuck in and immerse yourself in the story.
Refined combat means swashbuckling feels better than ever
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Going into Resynced, having seen a handful of trailers, I was quite worried that the combat would feel like that of Assassin's Creed Mirage: awkward, clunky, and a throwback to the systems of the older games in all the worst possible ways. Thankfully, when I actually got my hands on the game, it was immediately clear that my concerns were misplaced.
The combat system here is like the simplicity of the original gameβs mechanics merged with all the style and flair of the fights in Shadows. Enemies have decently sized health bars or shields now, which you can whittle down with sword strikes before hitting a perfect parry to trigger a stylish finisher. This isnβt your only option either, as abilities like the rope dart or kick let you quickly stagger tricky enemies without breaking your flow.
Thereβs a fantastic rhythm to all of it, and Iβve found that charging in with my swords drawn has quickly become my favorite way to tackle encounters. It certainly helps that the most frustrating instant-fail parts of missions have been entirely reworked as well, giving you more freedom than ever to experiment with Edwardβs arsenal.
There's finally no modern-day nonsense
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Rob lamented the loss of some of the modern-day content, but Iβm in the exact opposite camp. I think taking it out was the right decision, as the diversions into the modern setting are some of my least favorite parts of older Assassinβs Creed games.
Iβve always found the seriesβ whole meta narrative incredibly tedious β filling what would otherwise be grand adventures with a barrage of pointless conversations between characters that Iβm convinced nobody ever cared about. Can anyone earnestly say that Desmond Miles is the best Assassinβs Creed character? No, and he just takes up precious time that we could be spending with someone actually entertaining and charismatic like Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
The modern-day stuff was especially bad in the original Assassinβs Creed 4: Black Flag, casting you as an unnamed game developer working for a company controlled by the evil Templar Order. Wandering around a plain office block reading files and chatting with a handful of annoying coworkers is indescribably dull β I enjoy games that let me escape from my daily life, not recreate it.
Yes, the segments do introduce a little bit of satire, riffing on some of the more ridiculous events of the alternate history plot, but otherwise youβre not really missing anything with their removal.
Like Shadows, there are still some elements of the overarching narrative here as well for those that really care: the intro makes it clear that the game takes place in a simulation, and there are plenty of documents that reference the modern Assassin vs Templar struggle (on top of new Animus Rift challenges that explore interesting βWhat ifβ scenarios connected to Edwardβs life).
Thankfully, thatβs all optional, so it can be promptly ignored if, like me, youβd rather focus on the historical fantasy.
But I wish the UI was a little more distinct
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Itβs clear that Resynced draws quite heavily on Shadows both technologically and mechanically (in addition to a healthy splash of Skull & Bonesfor the parts where youβre at sea). This, of course, isnβt a problem in and of itself, as Shadows is clearly an excellent foundation to build upon, but I do wish that the design of the menus and UI was more distinct.
There have been some tweaks for sure, like the position of different elements and the icons of map markers and so on, though to me lots of it still looks a little bit too similar - the loading screens are the scale, and the inventory menus are practically identical, for example, as are prompts when youβre being seen while in stealth. Both games even use the same fonts throughout.
Itβs definitely not a big deal, but it all leaves Resynced looking more like a Shadows DLC than a remake of an older game at its most surface level. A more imaginative UI that drew more from the original Assassinβs Creed 4 and less from the most recent instalments would really help give Resynced more of a distinct identity.
The Duskbloods closed network tests begin next month
Players can sign up to participate and test the game from August 21 to August 24
The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive will allow up to eight-player multiplayer matches
FromSoftware has announced the dates for The Duskbloods' closed network test happening next month.
The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive was announced over a year ago, and details about the renowned Elden Ring studio's next PvPvE multiplayer have been few and far between.
"To all prospective Bloodsworn, your participation in the coming Dusk Battles is eagerly awaited!" a post from Nintendo reads on X.
Fans can apply here, starting July 22 at 4PM CEST / 3PM BST until July 28 at 3:59PM CEST / 2:59PM BST.
The player selection announcement will be revealed on August 7 at 3PM CEST / 2PM BST.
The Duskbloods Closed Network Test
August 21 - 12PM to 4PM CEST / 11 AM to 3 PM BST
August 22 - 4AM to 8AM CEST / 3 AM to 7 AM BST
August 22 - 8PM to 12AM CEST / 7 PM to 11 PM BST
August 23 - 12PM to 4PM CEST / 11 AM to 3 PM BST
August 24 - 4AM to 8AM CEST / 3 AM to 7 AM BST
"A network test involves using a pre-release version of the game to test performance prior to the commencement of service. We plan to conduct large-scale network load tests to check different technical aspects of the game's online systems," FromSoftware explained on its website.
The campaign will be able to test server load, gameplay balance, and various problems that may occur when multiple people play together across different network environments.
The Duskbloods was one of the highlights of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct last year, but unfortunately, there's still no release date.
There's also not a lot of information regarding gameplay, setting, and story; however, the studio has confirmed that the network test will feature multiplayer matches that "allows for up to eight players to participate together."
I didn't buy a Switch 2 at launch; I've been holding off on getting one for the time being - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a limited edition The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time console - but The Duskbloods, and the upcoming closed network tests have me seriously considering finally investing in the console sooner.
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone β which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, July 15 (game #1130).
Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #1131) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words areβ¦
NEEDLE
INK
JET
DOT MATRIX
TONER
POINT BREAK
LASER
CHARCOAL
PEEL
PITCH
PERIOD PIECE
BULLSEYE
SPOT REMOVER
EYE CREAM
CLOCKWORK
CLAY MASK
NYT Connections today (game #1131) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: Cosmetics
PURPLE: Small beginnings
BLUE: Seeking perfection
GREEN: The darkness
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzlesβ¦
NYT Connections today (game #1131) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: SKINCARE PRODUCTS
PURPLE: STARTING WITH TINY MARKS
BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH PRECISION
GREEN: SHADES OF BLACK
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1131) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #1131, areβ¦
PURPLE: STARTING WITH TINY MARKS: DOT MATRIX, PERIOD PIECE, POINT BREAK, SPOT REMOVER
BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH PRECISION: BULLSEYE, CLOCKWORK, LASER, NEEDLE
GREEN: SHADES OF BLACK: CHARCOAL, INK, JET, PITCH
My rating: Hard
My score: 1 mistake
Looking at todayβs game after I completed it, I donβt understand why I failed to see SHADES OF BLACK as it is the only group that I could have actually got right.
The other three groups were the result of muddled game play and lucky guesses β particularly STARTING WITH TINY MARKS, which I didnβt get because I spotted dot, period, point and spot, but because all the tiles were made up of two words.
Before that, though, I made the mistake of putting together what I thought were four different types of printer. Hopefully I wasn't the only player to fall into that trap, but in truth it doesn't take much to catch me.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, July 15, 2026, game #1130)
YELLOW: TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM: BAR, BENCH, COURT, TRIBUNAL
GREEN: THINGS WITH LACES: BASEBALL GLOVE, CORSET, FOOTBALL, SHOE
BLUE: KINDS OF SPORTS: EXTREME, MOTOR, RACKET, WATER
PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "ROOM" TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE: BREATHING, ELBOW, HEAD, WIGGLE
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
ROCKVILLE, MarylandβHundreds of Bethesda Game Studios and Zenimax Online Studios employees and their supporters braved nearly 100Β°F temperatures to protest sweeping layoffs across Xbox during a lunchtime rally in front of parent company Zenimax's headquarters today. The rally was one of five organized today by Zenimax Workers United and its parent union, the Communication Workers of America, at offices across Texas, California, and Montreal.
Attendees held up signs with messages like "Layoffs... layoffs never change" and "Our players deserve better" as union organizers and employees rallied the crowd with speeches and songs. The overwhelming message was one of solidarity and a willingness to push back against job cuts they say have decimated their development and quality assurance teams.
"It's about us building our movement and making sure that we get seen and we're visible," Bethesda technical producer and union volunteer organizer Nathan Hahn told Ars. "Because we want to make sure that we're not okay with these layoffs and that Xbox knows."
Some gamers are concerned about the future of game ownership after Sony's announcement today that it wonβt produce physical discs for PlayStation games as of January 2028. On that date, βnew games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only,β Sony said in a blog post.
Ditching discs is βa natural directionβ for Sony βto adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," the post said.
During Sonyβs fiscal year ending on March 31, 2026, digital downloads accounted for 78 percent of full-game unit purchases, up from 76 percent in fiscal 2024.
The Grand Theft Auto 6 Ultimate Edition comes with a ton of exclusive content
Some fans are understandably disappointed
However, it looks like an Ultimate Edition upgrade will be available
Some Grand Theft Auto 6 fans are frustrated by the amount of exclusive content locked behind the game's Ultimate Edition, but it looks like a separate upgrade will be available at some point.
Rockstar Games has officially announced the price for GTA 6, when pre-orders go live, and what editions will be available: a $79.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 Ultimate Edition.
Unlike the Standard Edition, which only comes with the base game, the more expensive Ultimate Edition features a ton of extra goodies, including premium and exclusive content such as missions, Vice City shops, locations, and outfits.
While the announcement has many fans excited, some are disappointed that much of GTA 6 will be locked behind a higher cost version of the game.
"Locking this much s*** behind the Ultimate Edition is scummy," one fan said. Another wrote, "Having stores locked behind the Ultimate Edition in a single player game is definitely a choice."
A user on Reddit shared similar frustrations, saying, "Rockstar I love you and all but locking content behind editions of the game like this is pretty egregious. This shouldn't be things you hide behind an ultimate edition of the game for players who just want to buy the basic game."
However, taking a look at the PS Store now that pre-orders have gone live in New Zealand, it seems that an Ultimate Edition Upgrade will be available.
There's no price right now, but if we had to guess, it could cost about the difference between the Standard and Ultimate Edition, so roughly $20.
A release date for the add-on hasn't been confirmed, but it will likely be available at launch, giving players who purchase the Standard Edition the option to upgrade and unlock all Ultimate Edition content.
Elsewhere, Sony has teamed up with Rockstar and announced that players who pre-order any edition on PlayStation Store will also instantly receive a redeemable free month of GTA+, a premium subscription for Grand Theft Auto Online.
My love of all things Zelda is no secret to my colleagues, friends, and family. In fact, when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OoT) remake was first announced, our Global Editor-in-Chief, Marc McLaren, immediately messaged me to ask if I intended to take time off to play it (I do).
When the 40th anniversary of the franchise rolled around earlier this year, I was a little blue to see little-to-no news of a new game or remake, but my long-read ode to the lasting impact of Link's adventures through Hyrule at least gave me a distraction. Now, however, with months to go until I finally make my grand return to the Kokiri forest, my hype has reached new heights.
To pass the time, I plan to spend my money on, you guessed it, even more Zelda merchandise and Switch 2 accessories to accommodate my upcoming increase in playtime. In the current Amazon Prime Day deals, there's a wide selection of cases, storage, merchandise, and more to shop; I've included some of the best below, as well as the essential gear my gaming station will be decked with come OoT's release later this year. Not everything I've linked below is on sale, so look for the percentage-off badge if you're only looking for good deals.
Switch 2 Essentials
Nintendo
Switch 2 Console
PowerA
Advantage Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch 2
SanDisk
MicroSD Express Card
Nintendo
SanDisk MicroSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2
If you're not caught up on the latest and greatest Switch generation Zelda games, you've got plenty of time ahead of the Ocarina of Time's remake releasing to pour some hours into adventure.
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Nintendo
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Nintendo
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening
Essential Zelda merch
From Lego sets to card games and novelty toys, there's a lot of great Zelda merch out there. I own a lot (really, an embarassing amount) of the below merchandise already; join me in my submission to capitalism's whim.
LEGO
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time β the Final Battle
Star Wars: Galactic Racer has a synergy system that impacts the players' vehicles
Fuse Games says planets will have status effects, like driving in lava or burning in Jakku's sun
Players can also counteract these effects, like driving through water, if their vehicles overheat
Fuse Games has revealed that Star Wars: Galactic Racer features a synergy system with status effects that impact the players' vehicles.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where studio co-founder and CEO Matt Webster and Creative Director Kieran Crimmins discussed the game's "runs-based" campaign structure and "consequential decision-making," the pair also detailed the game's reactive gameplay system.
In the game, players will visit a range of planets to take part in races, each with their own environmental differences. There are the hot, dry sand planets like Tatooine and Jakku, the lush jungle planet Lantaana, the snow planet, Ando Prime, and more.
This means players will need to adapt to the occasion, swapping out vehicle parts for ones better suited for the specific track. There's also an upgrade tree, which Crimmins said will let players improve their cornering, speed, or resilience, and upgrading vehicles over time will be "a very satisfying experience."
However, the game's synergy system will offer a bigger challenge. Planets will also have status effects, meaning hot lava will overheat your vehicle, but it can also be counteracted by physically driving through water.
"We wanted synergies, so that is status effects that each planet has a different status effect that can be inflicted on you," Crimmins said. "For instance, Ando Prime, you can get frozen, Lantaana, you can overheat in the lava, but you can also get cooled in the water. And then on different versions of Jakku, you can get burnt as well by the sun."
The developers said they couldn't speak on Crait just yet, which is a planet covered in a layer of white salt over a red crystalline mineral, suggesting that, just like in the movie The Last Jedi, speeders and other vehicles will impact the ground players navigate.
Crimmins continued, explaining how negative status effects can be subverted, for instance, to increase the speed of the new system called a Ramjet, which offers a massive boost in speed.
Webster added that using the Ramjet can "come at a real cost and heats up," but if players drive over the rivers of water in Lantaana, it heats up more slowly.
"You end up thinking of your build in a much more tactical way, where you're like, how can this thing prop this thing and create this thing to make an entirely new race," Crimmins said.
8BitDo announced a new version of its all-button Arcade Controller that debuted a little over a year ago. The new Arcade Controller Pro looks similar to 8BitDo's original with a leverless (or Hitbox) design that replaces joysticks with buttons for improved precision and responsiveness. The new Pro version comes with upgrades that include an even thinner 16mm design, an additional programmable button, and a small screen allowing you to customize button mapping and other settings without having to open 8BitDo's Ultimate Software V2 app on another device - although that's supported, too.
Pricing, availability, and preorder timing for the Arcad β¦
I know we're all buzzed about the imminent opening of pre-orders for GTA VI. But for me, that ties for most exciting gaming news this month, after Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is also dropping later on this year. So if you're as into Zelda games as I am and have a decent chunk of cash spare, I'd absolutely recommend you pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 this Prime Day.
As an ardent fan, The Legend of Zelda series lives absolutely rent-free in my head. I cut my teeth on the sublime pixel art of A Link to the Past on the SNES, donned many mantles in Majora's Mask, and banished the gloom in Twilight Princess. But it's almost certainly Ocarina of Time that made the biggest impression on me at the time, thanks to its epic time-hopping story and, at the time, groundbreaking 3D visuals.
So even though I've played the game to completion an almost shameful number of times, you better believe that I'll be picking up the remake on day one of its release. If you're similarly set on reliving one of the greatest games of all time but don't yet have a Nintendo Switch 2, I have one piece of advice for you: grab your console now.
While epic Prime Day discounts are pretty thin on the ground, there's still a good reason to pick one up now. Thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, Nintendo has already revealed that price rises are coming to the Switch 2. It's been confirmed that, come September, the price US buyers will pay is increasing from $449 to $499 β and while the exact price rise hitting the UK market is yet to be revealed, expectations are that it will be in roughly the same ballpark as in the US.
With its larger, gorgeously vivid 1080p display, silky smooth performance and more sturdy build, the Switch 2 feels every bit the upgrade over its predecessor. And while you can't currently get it for much of a discount, with the price increasing by $50 in September, this may well be the best deal you'll get for a long while.
Not only is its screen flat out gorgeous, packing plenty of brightness and vibrant colors, but it's silky smooth, hitting highs of 120Hz for compatible games. And performance is impressive β even a much more demanding title like the recent Indiana Jones and The Great Circle port feels great, despite being locked at 30fps rather than the 60fps (or above) hit by other platforms. That's an impressive feat for a handheld console this compact.
However, if I hadn't already upgraded, there's no doubt that The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time remake would have pushed me over the top. Getting to relive my nostalgia-soaked memories of one of the greatest adventures of all time with a fresh new coat of paint is a compelling hook indeed. And for any fan dead set on experiencing it, I'd honestly recommend you getting your Switch 2 ordered now before you have to fork out for that extra markup.