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Did you know that a new SpongeBob SquarePants game was on the way called SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide? Beyond a very gentle tease late last year neither did we, but the unannounced game has popped up on a couple of rating boards, suggesting we'll get an official reveal soon.
As spotted by Gematsu, Titans of the Tide has been rated in both South Korea and Germany, with the former rating it as suitable for those aged 12 and over, and Germany classifying it as suitable for children aged six and up. In South Korea, the 12+ rating was given due to "minor violence" and "explosions and minor bodily harm." According to USK, the German classification body, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S; interestingly, there's no mention here of Nintendo Switch 2.
As we hunker down ready for a weekend of reveals and announcements, it's possible this news has leaked a little prematurely than THQ Nordic's preferred schedule, and we'll hopefully find out more over the next few days. Watch this space…
There have been loads of SpongeBob SquarePants games over the years across a whole raft of genres, from Monopoly to tennis to kart racing. Most recently, though Patrick took center stage in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game. We thought it was a mediocre 5, writing in our review: "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is a simple, physics-based adventure that, despite its charm, lacks the heart to make a splash."
For all the news coming out of Summer Game Fest and IGN Live this weekend, we've got you covered.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Persona 4 Remake — one of the worst-kept secrets in video games — is reportedly set for an official reveal during Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase.
Both Windows Central and MP1st reported that the so-far unannounced game will finally get confirmed at the Xbox showcase this Sunday, June 8.
While Atlus’ Persona 4 Remake will be announced during the Xbox Games Showcase, it’s set for launch across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version remains up in the air.
Persona 4 Remake has endured a number of remarkable leaks from voice actors who have said they are not in the game. Last month, three of the original voice actors said they weren’t coming back for Persona 4 Remake — despite Persona 4 Remake not being announced yet.
That includes Yosuke Hanamura voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, who took to BlueSky to say he would not be reprising his role for "the Persona 4 remake." You know, the one that no one's officially announced yet.
"And for those who keep asking, no, I will not be returning as Yosuke for the Persona 4 remake," said Lowenthal in a since-deleted post. "I asked. Maybe I even begged, but they don’t want me to come back."
Two more actors from the original game subsequently spoke up, saying they wouldn't reprise their roles. Erin Fitzgerald, the English voice of Chie Satonaka, said she hadn't been asked to come back. And then Amanda Winn Lee chimed in to say she wasn't coming back as Yukiko Amagi.
There have been rumors to this tune bubbling up over the last year, with a recent domain registration fueling hope that its announcement might be coming soon.
Xbox Games Showcase 2025 will be livestreamed on Sunday, June 8, starting at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
Xbox Games Showcase 2025 will offer a look at upcoming titles from across Microsoft’s first-party studios, Microsoft said, “in addition to incredible new titles from our third-party partners across the globe.”
It seems likely Persona 4 Remake is among them.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The Nintendo Switch 2, like its predecessors, is a bit of an oddball as far as mainline consoles are concerned. It is, by itself, perfectly functional for gaming, but it does get a little boost if you pair it with a few Switch 2-specific accessories or connect it to a dock and a television.
Even then, it's not operating at the performance level of its peers or what modern televisions are capable of displaying. This hasn't been a major emphasis for Nintendo for a long time: It prefers to rely more heavily on gaming experiences rather than resolution and frame rate. That means that when it is connected to its dock and a television, the Switch 2 is only capable of outputting a 4K resolution signal at up to 60 frames per second. It can go up to 120fps if the resolution drops to 1080p, but the data rate required for both these options is pretty much the same. Oddly, it doesn’t even get VRR when docked – that’s reserved for handheld mode only.
It's actually so low that every mid to high-end television will be able to support the Switch 2 on any of its HDMI ports. That's an important note because PCs, the PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series X all require HDMI 2.1 ports to perform at their peak frame rates, resolutions, and with all features.
So while the Nintendo Switch 2 is by every metric less powerful than other current consoles, that means it also allows us to be more broad with our TV recommendations since it doesn't require the best hardware to run at its max.
Given its focus on entertainment for the whole family, I’m working under the assumption that the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to live in the living room (at least when it comes to my top recommendations). Because of this, I recommend the TCL QM6K and Hisense U8 for their outstanding brightness and value.
If you want a more versatile television that can work as a top-tier option for a Nintendo Switch 2 as well as at least one other console, PC, or Blu-Ray player, then we recommend an OLED, specifically the LG C4 or its higher-end sibling, the G4. I’ve been testing and reviewing TVs for years and am confident that any of the below TVs would make a great addition to your Switch 2 setup.
The LG C4 is the best TV for gaming for most people. It's probably the most popular series of televisions for gaming thanks to its excellent contrast ratio that ensures highlights pop while at the same time showing deep blacks and vibrant, accurate colors, whether you’re playing on Switch 2 or another console, or just watching a movie or show.
Unfortunately, it doesn't use the Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology like the G series does (more on that below) so it doesn't get as bright as its more premium cousin, which means it isn’t a great pick for rooms that are particularly bright. But if you plan to game in a medium-to-dim lighting room, it has the power to deliver excellent visuals. It also has plenty of high-end inputs, so it can act as the center of a gaming entertainment center and will make Switch 2 games look spectacular.
Although I haven't had the chance to review the latest TV in the C-series line, I did review the LG C2 and it's been my favorite gaming TV brand for years now. The LG C4 is only an improvement over the previous generations.
In my review of TCL's QM6K TV, I found that the company made some rather large strides forward in 2025 thanks to a completely upgraded backlight system across its product line. The QM6K is an entry-level option – costing under $500 for the 55" size – but because of these improvements, it performs almost as well as a higher-end option from the year prior. It's a great fit for the Nintendo Switch 2 because it is the best affordable option for putting front and center in your brightly lit living room. Even if you have windows facing the screen directly, the QM6K has the power to overcome that glare and provide an excellent gaming experience in, say, the middle of the day.
One area TCL really emphasized this year was its off-angle viewing, which is often poor on mini-LED televisions that use VA panels. That is not an issue with the QM6K, however, and that means games like Mario Kart World or Mario Party will not look different for anyone around the television, even if they're at a more extreme angle in a packed living room.
The TCL QM6K has broad HDR support, including Dolby Vision, HLG, IMAX/IMAX Enhanced, and, most importantly, HDR10 and HDR 10+. The Switch 2 has been confirmed to support HDR10, and the QM6K has the brightness, color fidelity, and built-in support to provide a great viewing and gaming experience.
The U8N is Hisense's best television. Given TCL's comeuppance on the entry-level tier with the QM6K, it's the most reasonable option from Hisense where it still competes well. With a mix of excellent inputs, good color, great brightness, and an approachable price for all these benefits, the U8N is a great choice for the Nintendo Switch 2.
The same benefits I mentioned regarding TCL's great brightness apply here. This TV gets blazingly bright at a 3,000-nit peak. Most viewers will prefer to keep it below max brightness, but it's very good at overcoming glare if and when needed. The U8N will shine in the middle of a living room, whether that be at night or right across from big windows with sunlight streaming through. Hisense also layered an anti-reflective surface to the U8N’s panel, further allowing this television to thrive in bright rooms.
There are four HDMI ports, two of which support 4K at up to 144Hz (HDMI 2.1) while the other two support 4K at up to 60Hz (HDMI 2.0). You can save those HDMI 2.1 ports for a PC or PlayStation, though, and attach the Switch to the one standard HDMI port that isn't eARC (use that one for your soundbar or home theater system).
If you want the best and you are planning to use your television as a base for all of your gaming, Nintendo Switch 2 included, then the best option on the market is the LG G4. It supports HDR 10 and has four HDMI 2.1 ports, meaning you can plug a Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox Series X, and a PC into this display all at the same time and every single one will work at their best with no downsides. It doesn't even matter which port you choose for which console – they're all top-end.
OLED's downside used to be brightness, and some OLEDs still can't get super bright, but the G4 has no such problem. The 65-inch option reaches around 1,400 nits in most cases, with a peak of 3,000 nits in some rare instances. Most of the G4 models use what LG calls Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology to get this increased brightness, but the largest 97-inch version does not, so keep that in mind.
With that boosted brightness, HDR content looks outstanding as it can contrast with perfect blacks thanks to OLED technology where each pixel is individually controlled. Not only does that mean outstanding rendition of subjects on screen, it also means instantaneous pixel response, which is great for gaming, and no halo effect around bright objects set against a dark background (so no mitigation technology like TCL's, which doesn't even completely eliminate it, is needed). LG's OLED panel is also extremely color accurate and is among the best you can buy today.
LG’s G4 is a spectacular television that, thanks to its boosted brightness, can excel in pretty much any environment. If you want one display to act as the center of your gaming entertainment, you won't find better than the G4 right now. Mario Kart on the Switch 2 will not look any better.
Read my full LG G4 review.
Everything that makes the QM6K good is juiced up and even better on the QM8K. If you're willing to spend a bit more, TCL's high-end 2025 offering punches way above its weight class, with incredible brightness (even brighter than the QM6K) and the same high marks for color, off-angle viewing, and HDR support.
The QM8K is shockingly close to OLED when it comes to contrast ratio. If you weren't specifically looking for some small, telltale signs of halo (that's a slight glow around bright objects when they're set against a dark background; think white captions on black), you could probably be convinced that the QM8K was OLED. I've seen them side-by-side and while you can tell, TCL's latest high-end TV gets surprisingly close, especially when compared to other miniLED televisions from competitors.
TCL has also come a long way with its processing and it is very good at reducing artifacts that come as a result of poor streaming quality and is particularly adept at smoothing out color gradations in skies and removes that "blockiness" that can show in low bitrate content.
This might come as a shock, but if the TV is going to be sitting in a living room with a lot of windows, I would take the QM8K over the LG G4 for my Nintendo Switch 2, despite the fact the latter is OLED. This is because the brightness is just so much better on TCL's option and I prefer Google TV as an operating system over LG’s WebOS. Plus, TCL’s gorgeous slim bezel design is just so impressive.
When picking a TV to pair with your Nintendo Switch 2, it is less important to pay close attention to things like refresh rate, display type, and inputs than if you were buying a TV for your PS5 or Xbox Series X. The Switch 2 doesn't require top-of-the-line hardware and will work at its best on the baseline technologies found on basically all televisions in 2025.
That said, there are software features that are worth considering, like input lag, and the options on the guide above all will work great. Usually, we would also include VRR (variable refresh rate) in this as well, but the Switch 2 doesn’t support it in docked mode, so it is a non-factor here.
TV size and screen placement can affect your experience outside of specs alone, with issues like glare able to thwart your best-laid plans. We’d suggest testing the room’s natural lighting over a full day to avoid running into any problems. With this in mind, our list includes TVs with multiple size and peak brightness options so you can adequately find a match to fit your living space. When switching between sizes while shopping, be sure to recheck the specs to ensure you are happy with the details of the model.
If your TV has a basic HDMI port, it will work with your Nintendo Switch 2, for all intents and purposes. Because it's not capable of taking advantage of top-end inputs, the quality of HDMI cable you need is less important. The HDMI cable shipped with your Switch 2 will be all you need.
No, although some gamers might prefer to sacrifice resolution for frame rate. The Nintendo Switch can only perform 120Hz at 1080p resolution, not 4K, and the support for going between these two will vary game to game. Every TV on this guide supports the ability to swap between those two options at will, but some televisions you might come across will not support 120Hz. Luckily, 60Hz is all you need if you only intend to play games at 4K, so keep that in mind when selecting your television.
In general, the best time to buy a new TV for any reason is on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day every year. Both of these sales will have discounts on pretty much every brand available, including some of the best overall TVs for PS5 owners. Outside of those two shopping holidays, you can usually find TV discounts in January after new models are released or during various other holiday sales events throughout the year.
Jaron Schneider is an award-winning commercial filmmaker, an internationally-published consumer technology journalist, and long-time digital imaging expert across the fields of both video production and traditional photography. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of PetaPixel.
Nintendo and GameStop have addressed the Switch 2 launch day issue of consoles being sold to customers with broken screens, after staples were used to attach receipts onto the Switch 2's box.
As impacted fans have now told IGN, GameStop has begun offering replacement Nintendo Switch 2 consoles sourced from other nearby stores.
The major U.S. retailer has also issued a short statement on the matter — which Nintendo itself pointed to when contacted by IGN asking for comment — that seeks to make clear that GameStop employees only damaged dozens of consoles in one of its stores.
"We've addressed a unique case of staples damaging Switch 2 screens — isolated to one store," GameStop said in a post on social media.
"Replacements have been offered. Staplers have been confiscated," it continued, alongside a short clip from 1999 comedy film Office Space, where an employee gets a stapler taken from their desk by their boss.
We’ve addressed a unique case of staples damaging Switch 2 screens—isolated to one store.
— GameStop (@gamestop) June 5, 2025
Replacements have been offered. Staplers have been confiscated. https://t.co/w6eOEDtCeK pic.twitter.com/8UUeS7mx8i
Numerous fans who attended the midnight launch of Switch 2 at the Forest Avenue branch of GameStop in Staten Island were left to discover their console screens had been punctured by staples after opening their new purchases.
Some criticised the store's decision to staple receipts to Switch 2 boxes, while others pointed out the design of Nintendo's Switch 2 packaging — which positions the console's main unit against the side of its thin cardboard box, screen facing outwards.
"I knew this would happen," another fan wrote on social media. "It was a weird decision by Nintendo to have the screen sit face-side-up at the very top of the box with only the thin cardboard to protect it. You're going to hear about a few damaged screens in the coming days. They are at risk just being stacked in shipping."
IGN has asked Nintendo and GameSpot if other stores have been warned not to do similar, and whether packaging could be changed to make Switch 2 consoles more secure — from staples or otherwise.
"GameStop did right by me," one fan told IGN today, after receiving a punctured Switch 2 at the console's midnight launch. "They traded it in for a new system. They must of sent a shipment of Switch 2's to that location today to fix the staple problem."
Another customer, who also got their Switch 2 replaced, said they had been told GameStop moved quickly to pull spare stock from other local stores in order to provide replacements.
Blogroll image credit: 20th Century Fox. Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Legendary director Ridley Scott has indicated he has moved on from the Alien franchise, declaring: “I think I’ve done enough.”
The 87-year-old English film director and producer, who directed 1979’s seminal sci-fi horror Alien before reviving the franchise with 2012’s Prometheus, told ScreenRant in a recent interview: “Where it’s going now, I think I’ve done enough, and I just hope it goes further.”
Scott has left Alien in capable hands, with the successful Alien: Romulus from Fede Álvarez and FX TV series Alien: Earth from Fargo creator Noah Hawley. Alien: Romulus did so well a sequel is in the works. And there are a number of Alien crossover references in the upcoming Predator: Badlands.
In the same interview, Scott talked about how the Alien franchise dropped off after 1997’s Alien: Resurrection, and how that fueled his desire to revive the series with Prometheus. Scott followed up on Prometheus with 2017’s Alien: Covenant, where the Alien franchise was left in terms of mainline films until last year’s Alien: Romulus.
"I think I felt it was deadened after 4," he said. "I think mine was pretty damn good, and I think Jim's [Aliens director James Cameron] was good, and I have to say the rest were not very good. And I thought, 'F**k, that's the end of a franchise which should be as important as bloody Star Trek or Star Wars,' which I think is phenomenal."
He added: “A number of years after, I said, 'I'm going to resurrect this,' [and wrote] Prometheus from scratch — a blank sheet of paper. Damon Lindelof and I sat then hammered out Prometheus.
"It was very present and very welcome. The audience really wanted more. I said, 'It needs to fly.' No-one was coming for it, [and] I went once again [and made] Alien Covenant, and it worked too. Where it's going now, I think I've done enough, and I just hope it goes further."
While Scott has ruled out directing another Alien movie, he was a producer on Alien: Romulus and is an executive producer on Alien: Earth via his production company, Scott Free. Speaking of Alien: Earth, its first full trailer left plenty to chew on for fans.
Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The bumper State of Play June 2025 showcase set a peak concurrent viewership record for Sony.
Sony kicked off the summer reveal season with a bang, presenting a smorgasbord of new games to whet our appetites going into Summer Games Fest Week, including peeks at 007 First Light, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Romeo is a Dead Man, and Silent Hill f.
According to Streams Charts, this week's State of Play peaked at over 2.2 million live viewers for the first time in the series’ history. According to data compiled by the website, State of Play now ranks as the third most-popular gaming or tech showcase of 2025 by peak concurrent viewership. Only two Nintendo Direct presentations pulled in bigger numbers (understandably, Nintendo's Switch 2 reveal is top by a long way).
As spotted by Push Square, the State of Play wasn't Sony's most-watched livestream ever — that honor goes to the PS5 reveal event, which currently boasts 44 million views. The Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Forbidden Dawn presentations were also astonishingly popular, clocking up 15 and 10 million views, respectively. But Tuesday's livestream remains hands-down the most popular State of Play showing ever.
The State of Play focused on third-party — and particularly Japanese developers — with strong announcements from the likes of Capcom, Grasshopper Manufacture, Konami, ArtPlay, Square Enix, and Team Ninja. There were surprisingly few first-party titles in the presentation.
It also felt very much like this year's summer presentation was focused on committed gamers, too. There seemed to be a propensity of action games, many of which will likely come with mature/18+ ratings.
Need to catch up? We've got you covered — here's everything announced at PlayStation State of Play 2025 earlier this week.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
24 hours into the life of Nintendo Switch 2, it's time to look at what's selling best on the new console's eShop — and get a sense of just how popular those rather minimal-looking Zelda upgrades have been.
Top of the Switch 2 eShop charts at the time of writing is, of course, Mario Kart World — the console's flagship launch title that many (most?) owners will have picked up alongside the console.
It's no surprise to see this in the top spot, and anyone who bought the Switch 2 bundle with Mario Kart World included will have contributed to its placing here, as you'll have had to redeem an eShop code and download its digital version.
Next up, perhaps surprisingly, is Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. Developer CD Projekt will no doubt be delighted to see its latest game doing so well on Switch 2, after it previously skipped Nintendo's last-gen console. With the power to run Cyberpunk's Night City now available, Switch 2 owners look to have jumped at the chance to catch up with the open-world RPG. Earlier this week, IGN chatted with CD Projekt to find out how the developer managed to get Cyberpunk 2077 working on Switch 2.
Third is Nintendo's own Switch 2 Welcome Tour. This is the $10 collection of mini-games and tech demos that many fans believe should have been offered for free (and after an hour with the game myself last night, I am inclined to agree). Part instruction manual, part interactive museum exhibit, Welcome Tour is at least fairly cheap. (Just remember you'll need a camera and a separate controller/grip with GL/GR buttons to play everything included in it.)
The fourth best-selling game on the Switch 2 eShop right now is Fast Fusion, a game which you may not have heard of. This fast-paced sci-fi racer is an interesting addition to the console's launch line-up, as developer Shin'en Multimdia previously released the similar Fast RMX as a launch title for the original Switch, back in March 2017. Why is this series popular with Nintendo fans? Well, because it is essentially F-Zero. And without a new F-Zero from Nintendo anytime soon (if ever again), hardcore Nintendo fans love it.
The fifth biggest game on the Switch 2 eShop is not actually a game, but an upgrade — yes, it's the $10 upgrade to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It's interesting to see this chart so highly, as Nintendo Switch Online subscribers do get this add-on included as part of their membership. But perhaps fans have decided they want it to keep? Or maybe they haven't realised. Regardless, the fact this upgrade is so popular clearly shows Nintendo was right to assume people would pay up for some improved visuals (something you get free in upgrades to other titles, such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet), plus access to a new mobile app.
Sixth on the Switch 2 eShop right now is Deltarune, which just launched its latest chapters this week. Seventh is the $10 upgrade pack for Zelda: Breath of the Wild (as an older game, perhaps fewer people are still playing it compared to Tears of the Kingdom).
In eighth place is relaxing role-player Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, while ninth place goes to Square Enix's Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. This is followed by Yakuza 0 and Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition.
After these, the full Switch 2 Editions of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild sandwich Hitman World of Assassination. And lastly in the chart is Hogwarts Legacy, whose Switch 2 version features a number of graphical upgrades. A $10 upgrade for this Harry Potter prequel RPG is also available if you owned the game on the original Switch.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
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Funcom has just made available Dune: Awakening to those who have pre-ordered its Deluxe Edition. The team has provided us with a review code, so it’s time now to benchmark it and examine its performance on the PC. For our benchmarks, we used an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 32GB of DDR5 at 6000Mhz, AMD’s Radeon … Continue reading Dune: Awakening Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis →
The post Dune: Awakening Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis appeared first on DSOGaming.
Elden Ring Nightreign developer FromSoftware has concluded a fresh round of server maintenance designed to improve matchmaking.
During the game’s launch weekend, FromSoftware acknowledged Elden Ring Nightreign matchmaking issues and offered suggestions to players affected, including restarting the matchmaking process and, specifically on PlayStation 4 and 5, checking their NAT type.
Now, following server maintenance conducted on June 6 “to improve expedition matchmaking with an active Remembrance,” online functionalities have been restored, and fans are hoping for a better experience.
“Thank you for your patience, Nightfarers,” FromSoftware said. “Limveld awaits.”
Despite these issues, Elden Ring Nightreign sold 3.5 million copies after just five days on sale. Elden Ring was a massive hit, selling 30 million since going on sale in 2022, and it seems unlikely that Nightreign will come close to matching that success. For better context, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion sold 5 million copies within three days of its release in 2024.
Nightreign has also seen its Steam user review rating improve from 'mixed' to 'mostly positive.' Much of the initial negative sentiment revolved around Nightreign’s brutal solo experience, its lack of duos co-op, lack of voice chat, and other archaic mechanics.
But on Monday, FromSoftware released a patch to make solo play much easier, and has confirmed Duos mode is on the way.
So, what happens next? FromSoftware also said that in addition to the DLC releasing later this year, new additions will be “gradually implemented,” including enhanced fights against existing Nightlords starting this month.
Earlier this week, Elden Ring Nightreign's director revealed he had soloed every boss without Relics, and wanted players to know it's "very possible" to see everything.
We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The official GameCube controller for Nintendo Switch 2 includes gyro controls, fans have discovered — a feature that Nintendo itself kept quiet about before launch.
Now, the hunt is on to find how tilt controls work in various Switch 2 games — as fans try their shiny new purple controllers with a range of other titles.
Initially, Nintendo had stated that its GameCube controller would only be compatible with the Nintendo GameCube — Nintendo Classics collection that is now available to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.
But the company later clarified that while the controller was designed for use only with GameCube games, it could be used for other Switch 2 titles — albeit on a case-by-case basis.
"Since it doesn't have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games," the company previously said in a statement to Nintendo Life.
So, fans were already planning to see how the GameCube controller worked elsewhere on Switch 2 — but the inclusion of gyro controls has come as a fresh surprise.
In one social media post that's since gone viral, one fan shows off their GameCube controller's gyro controls moving the camera in Splatoon — to the bemusement of their cat.
【朗報】Switch2 と同時発売のSwitch用ゲームキューブコントローラー、まさかのジャイロ搭載により「ゲームキューブコントローラーでスプラをやる」という新しい選択肢が生まれる pic.twitter.com/MzTFCCZujj
— さしぶー (@sashibu2) June 5, 2025
In another post, we can see the GameCube controller being used in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, allowing Link to aim his bow.
The GameCube Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 has Gyro controllers 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/E4iZOeZXuc
— LittleMacMain (@LittleMacMainKO) June 5, 2025
And in a third post, another fan has discovered the gyro controls act as the Wii Remote pointer in Super Mario Galaxy, played via Nintendo's time-limited Super Mario 3D All-Stars package.
playing mario galaxy on the gamecube pic.twitter.com/6DfQLkeyZs
— AK (@Akfamilyhome) June 5, 2025
On YouTube, GVG has a deep dive into how the GameCube controller can play the Switch's Metroid Prime 1 remaster, with a number of different options available. This is especially cool as you are, of course, playing a remaster of a GameCube game using a remake of a GameCube controller, four console generations later.
Why Nintendo didn't more widely advertise its inclusion of gyro controls in the GameCube controller is anyone's guess — though the sheer number of compatibility options for every game playable on Switch 2 would have been a headache to keep track of.
(And let's not forget, the Switch 2 still has compatibility issues with some Switch 1 games — even including big hitters like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.)
As fans discover how gyro controls work in a wider number of games, for now it's safe to say that there's plenty you could be using your new GameCube Switch 2 controller with, beyond just a few old retro classics.
Right now, the Switch Online's Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics collection is looking pretty thin, with just the original version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, plus F-Zero GX and SoulCalibur 2 available.
Still, Nintendo has confirmed a number of other GameCube classics will follow (including Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Mario Smash Football, Luigi's Mansion and Chibi-Robo!), though there's no word yet on when they might materialise.
With gyro controls available, though, surely Super Monkey Ball should be next?
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Madame Web has gone down as one of the most disastrous superhero movies of all time, flopping at the box office amid a flood of negative reviews. Upon release it broke records as the worst opening for a Sony Spider-Man film ever and was the first Marvel film since Fox's Fantastic Four reboot to fail to open at number one.
Even Hideo Kojima, the legendary game director behind Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, couldn't muster up more than six words in his review. IGN managed a few more, putting the film's failings down to an "overcrowded" script loaded with "extraneous characters, basic archetypes, and generic dialogue."
Since then, and following the even worse Kraven the Hunter, Sony was reported to have given up on its Spider-Man universe to focus on next year’s surefire hit Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
So, what went wrong with Madame Web? There has been much hand-wringing since it came out. Last year, Emma Roberts, who played Mary Parker in the movie, attributed Madame Web's poor box office performance and critical reception to internet culture and "everything being made into a joke." One line of dialogue in the trailer went viral after people poked fun at it, and that line didn't even make it into the final cut of the movie.
Sydney Sweeney, who starred as Julia Cornwall (aka Spider-Woman), admitted she was "along for the ride," but used a Saturday Night Live monologue to emphasize all the other acting roles she is known for and completely disowned her turn as the Spidey superheroine, saying: "You definitely did not see me in Madame Web."
Now, Dakota Johnson, who played the title role, has expanded her thoughts on Madame Web, issuing strong words that get at the significant trouble the movie suffered during its development.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times as part of the promo tour for rom-com Materialists, Johnson said of Madame Web’s failure: “It wasn’t my fault.”
“There’s this thing that happens now where a lot of creative decisions are made by committee," she continued. "Or made by people who don’t have a creative bone in their body. And it’s really hard to make art that way. Or to make something entertaining that way. And I think unfortunately with Madame Web, it started out as something and turned into something else. And I was just sort of along for the ride at that point. But that happens. Bigger-budget movies fail all the time.”
These latest comments echo those Johnson made soon after Madame Web came out, when she told Bustle: “You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not. Audiences will always be able to sniff out bulls**t.”
Ultimately, it sounds like Johnson is philosophical about her Madame Web experience. "I don’t have a Band-Aid over it," she added. "There’s no part of me that’s like, 'Oh, I’ll never do that again' to anything. I’ve done even tiny movies that didn’t do well. Who cares?"
Sony's Spider-Man universe officially includes six films: Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter. In April, Venom star Tom Hardy discussed the failed effort to make a Venom / Spider-Man crossover happen.
Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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Dune: Awakening isn't even properly out yet, but it has already set a concurrent player record on Steam of almost 100,000 players.
According to Steam's official stats, Dune: Awakening peaked at 93,634 concurrent players yesterday, June 5, even though the game only released for "head start" (read: early access) players who bought either the $69.99 Deluxe Edition or the $89.99 Ultimate edition. For everyone else, the game goes live on June 10, 2025.
Concurrent players isn't the only metric we should use when measuring how successful a game is, of course, but it's a good starting point, even though it doesn't account for players on other platforms (not that Dune: Awakening is available on other platforms just yet; the PS5 and Xbox Series release will follow at a later date).
Historically, weekends are usually when most players opt to jump into a game, so it's possible Dune: Awakening will hit an even higher peak concurrent count before official launch on June 10. Of the thousands of games currently on sale on Steam, it's currently 195th in the chart of the highest-ever concurrent peaks. Not bad for a game that's not even out yet.
We haven't yet had chance to review Dune: Awakening, but we did have take an extended peek when the beta was live. "As a longtime fan of Dune, it also just feels so good to explore and learn more about a world that I’m quite fond of, and Funcom has clearly put a ton of effort into worldbuilding and lore, even despite taking quite a bit of creative liberty by placing Awakening within a parallel reality and canon than the books/movies," we wrote in IGN's Dune: Awakening closed beta impressions preview.
"There are little details that have a massive impact on gameplay. I won’t go into spoilers, but this kind of attention to detail touches just about every aspect of the world, including the factions and characters you meet along the way, which should be a treat for any fan of the setting."
For more, check out details on the MMO's business model and post-launch plans. We've also got the global release time schedule for Dune: Awakening right here for you, too.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Nintendo Switch 2 supports your smartphone as a camera, fans have discovered — and you just need two cheap cables to get up and running.
We already knew that Switch 2 supported other, third-party USB cameras — and you may already have one lying around the house that you can simply plug in, if it has a USB-C connection. But what about your phone — a device we all carry around with a camera attached?
Well, as detailed by YouTube channel Will It Work?, Nintendo's new console is indeed compatible with modern phones, if you plug one in with an HDMI to USB-C capture cable.
By plugging a USB-C to HDMI cable into your smartphone, and then a HDMI capture cable into that, your phone is essntially turned into a device that your Switch 2 identifies as any other USB camera.
Will It Work? shows this all in action, and recommends a free app named TrueVistage that puts the phone's camera in full screen without any buttons, to remove on-screen clutter.
Once plugged in, the Switch 2 does indeed simply show the phone's video on the console (and there's a handy camera testing feature buried in the Switch 2's menus, in order to check everything works).
Nintendo is selling its own Switch 2 Camera for $54.99 — but it's a rather bulky device you're unlikely to use elsewhere. So as well as a fun experiment, this could also be a handy PSA that could save money, and aid in your convenience when planning GameChat sessions. After all, you're more likely to have your phone with you when playing away from home, rather than bother carrying a separate camera.
How much will this solution cost? Well, links to Amazon product pages provided by the Will It Work? video show these cables cost a combined $30.98, though you may be able to get them cheaper. But already, you're saving $24 on the Switch 2's official camera (and $29 if you wanted the Switch 2 Camera's Piranha Plant version). Plus, depending on how much we're all really going to be using GameChat, you're also saving buying yet another gadget that may or may not get much use.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Nintendo Switch 2 is officially now available. If you're looking to pick up the new console (or figure out where it is in stock), launch games, accessories, and more, this is your one-stop shop for everything you could possibly need.
So what's the latest update? Target restocked Nintendo Switch 2 on June 6 (Mario Kart World bundle ($499.99) and standard Switch 2 ($449.99) but has since sold out. Every other major retailer is currently out of stock at the time of writing. Stay tuned for more updates.
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World
Nintendo Switch 2
Games, games, games. It's what a new console is all about. Well, kinda. Nintendo Switch 2 is already building a stacked library of games, blending shiny new exclusives with upgraded re-releases of fan favorites. Heavyweights like Donkey Kong Bananza ($69.99) and Mario Kart World ($79.99) are leading the charge.
It's also a brilliant opportunity to check out games you already own and see if the game has vastly improved on the new hardware, like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet incredible performance boost. Let's not forget that the Switch 2 Edition of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is also now up for preorder.
You can also pick up games you might have no got the chance to play over the past generation, or were simply waiting for better hardware to play them on, such as enhanced versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, fine-tuned for the new hardware.
Here's what IGN's Tom Marks had to say about the Switch 2 in his "Review in Progress":
"Let’s start simple: The Switch 2 is bigger and better looking than its predecessor. Even compared to my trusty old OLED Switch, the new screen looks great, and the extra real estate is a noticeable improvement. I haven’t played a ton in handheld mode just yet, but whether I am playing docked or holding it in my own two hands, the higher framerate and resolution just make everything crisp and clean, especially when viewed side by side."
"None of that is breaking new ground in gaming overall, sure (the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X brought 4K gaming to consoles in 2016 and 2017, respectively) but it’s part of a handful of moments I’ve had where it fully hit me just how dated the original Switch was getting. So while it may not be giving the PS5 Pro a run for its money or anything, the Switch 2 does at least feel distinctly modern again."
Accessories for the Switch 2 are just as important as the console itself, as many will make or break your experience with the new console.
For starters, I'd recommend anyone who hasn't already got a Pro Controller, to pick one up ASAP, as it'll make gaming on the console much easier while it's docked and connected to your TV or monitor.
Otherwise, my next big suggestion to pick up a microSD Express Card soon as well, preferably the 256GB version as it's the best value for money right now. Walmart has some excellent deals on those right now, so it's worth picking up.
If costs are already starting to rack up, and your looking to save a little cash on your carry case or screen protector (just don't take the pre-installed one off when you do), then third party accessories are an excellent option.
There are also some great Switch 2 deals already floating around on several top brands like JSAUX and Anker, so be sure to check those out as well as the official Nintendo accessories listings above.
We’ve also got a new batch of Nintendo Amiibo ready for Switch 2. Fans of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Street Fighter 6 can buy a handful of brand new Amiibo from those games.
The side-scrolling carousel above has all the new Amiibo in it, but if any of them are sold out when you click to buy or you want more details, check out our full guide on everything available.
GameStop has begun replacing Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that were punctured with staples during shipping, impacted customers have told IGN. “GameStop did right by me,” one fan said. “They traded it in for a new system.
They must’ve sent a shipment of Switch 2s to that location today to fix the staple problem.”
Another customer confirmed their console was also swapped out, saying staff pulled spare stock from nearby stores to provide immediate replacements. This follows GameStop’s statement to IGN yesterday pledging to “make customers whole”.
Meanwhile, the $10 Switch 2 Welcome Tour mini-game collection, available now alongside the new console, has drawn criticism for requiring at least $95 worth of accessories to complete 100%.
The collection includes mini-games built around Switch 2’s new camera and GL/GR buttons, which only work with a Charging Grip or Pro Controller (sold separately). And if you want to experience the 4K showcase games in full? You’ll need a 4K TV too.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Senior Commerce Editor, for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.
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