Nintendo's Virtual Boy is arguably one of the strangest-looking gaming contraptions I've laid eyes on. It sits on a desk like a little portable grill, but you look into it like a microscope. Your eyes are enveloped in a ruby-red interface, where you can play retro 3D games with the paired controller. Last week, I got a chance to spend some time with some upcoming video game releases for the Nintendo Switch 2-like Mario Tennis Fever and Resident
Abxylute, the company behind the M4 magnetic mobile gamepad, has announced a new pair of controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2 designed to replace the stock Joy-Cons while playing in handheld mode. Both are "launching soon" on Kickstarter and feature a design where the Switch 2 docks to the controllers so they can connect to and draw power from the console's bottom USB-C port.
With the release of the Switch 2 last year, Nintendo simultaneously refreshed it's Pro Controller to release alongside the new console. The aptly-named Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller comes with some big upgrades including a better HD Rumble system, the dedicated C-Button for GameChat, and rear GL/GR buttons that can be mapped to any button you choose. It's a handy controller to add to your rotation, but it doesn't come cheap. It's list price is a whopping $89.
Playing the Switch 2 for more than an hour in handheld mode means the flat Joy-Cons and small buttons start to feel like a compromise. Your hands end up clawed around the rails, drift anxiety creeps in, and you start shifting your grip to avoid cramping. NYXI's Hyperion 3 is built for people who treat the Switch 2 like a main console, not a travel toy used in short bursts.
According to the trailer, the game takes place in a land called Philabieldia that's overrun by beasts, where humans must use a spell of safekeeping to keep their only remaining city, the Kingdom of Huther, safe from invasion. The titular Elliot is tasked with exploring a set of newfound ruins beyond the walls alongside his fairy companion Faie. Unknown to them, though, they will come across a door that will take them on a journey that spans thousands of years.
If you buy digital games for the Nintendo Switch 2, Samsung's P9 microSD Express card offers an easier way to expand your storage without constantly deleting games to make room. It's cheaper than other microSD cards, and it's even better value right now, with the 512GB version priced at $79.99 ($40 off) - just $5 shy of its best price to date. You can alternatively buy the 256GB model for $39.99 ($15 off) at Amazon.
Just as the NFL playoffs heat up, Nintendo has announced that Madden NFL 26 will be available to try for free from January 15 through January 21 for Nintendo Switch Online members. It's the full game, not a limited slice of it, that Switch 2 owners can play for the duration of the free period. All save data will carry forward if players buy the full game. Additionally, Madden NFL 26 is 60% off through January 25, bringing the price down from $70 to $28.
The physical edition of Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 is on sale for $59 (was $70) at Woot. The deal is part of the Amazon-owned retailer's Video Game Mega Sale, which runs through January 20. Woot sells a mix of North American and region-free international editions of Switch and Switch 2 games, but the Super Mario Galaxy collection is the North American release.
Unrightfully passed over during the GameCube days, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance isn't just the best game in the series, it's genuinely one of the best strategy RPGs ever made. But perhaps more importantly is the incredibly ambitious story - it's one of the few titles out there that manages to tackle themes of prejudice and racism in a surprisingly thoughtful way.
Nintendo Switch 2 players can grab a surprisingly good alternative to the Joy-Con 2 for handheld mode for only $42.49 (was $54) at Amazon. This is the lowest price yet for the Gammeefy JC400, a Bluetooth controller with a cradle designed specifically to hold the Switch 2 console. The JC400 has Hall Effect sticks with RGB light rings, two remappable back buttons, rumble with five intensity levels, six-axis motion controls, and numerous other features that make it a bargain.
Not only is Nintendo's powerful handheld readily available online and in stores, it's still $50 off for the best console bundle you can buy. The set that includes a Switch 2 and Mario Kart World is typically $499.99 (saving you $29 compared to buying the $79 game separately), but you have another - perhaps final! - chance to get it for $449.99.
Donkey Kong fans can grab the Donkey Kong Bananza Amiibo for $20 (was $30) at Amazon right now. This is a Lightning Deal with limited quantities. At the time of writing, over 20% of the available Donkey Kong and Pauline Amiibo figures have been claimed. Amazon also has deals on two Amiibo figures that launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2: Yunobo from The Legend of Zelda and Jamie from Street Fighter 6 are available for $8 each.
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster flew under the radar when it released exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 as a launch title in June. If you're a fan of traditional turn-based RPGs made by Square Enix, we'd highly recommend checking it out--especially now that it has received its first discount. Amazon Prime members can get Bravely Default HD Remaster for $30 (was $40). This is a limited-time Lightning Deal.
The best grip we've tried for Nintendo Switch 2 is on sale at Best Buy as a last-minute holiday deal. Dbrand's Killswitch Grip Case Travel Bundle is discounted to $72 (was $80). Though it's pricier than many Switch 2 grips available on Amazon, the Killswitch has superb ergonomics, a clever dock adapter that works seamlessly, and a three-piece design that lets you use the grips for mouse mode and single Joy-Con 2 motion controls.
Right now, Amazon is offering the 256GB Samsung P9 Express microSD card for just $33, after taking 40% off its usual $55 retail price. Prime members get to enjoy free delivery, so they're saving a few extra dollars on that front too. This is also the lowest we have seen this memory card drop to since its release, but as you'd expect, the deal is selling out fast.
Orbitals is a two-player co-op adventure, where players step into the roles of Maki and Omura to save their home from a supernatural cosmic storm. Aside from showing off the game's gorgeous '80s anime-inspired visuals, Orbitals' debut trailer also highlights how Maki and Omura will traverse space and work together to solve puzzles. In one example of how the game's co-op will work, the trailer shows one character piloting a spaceship while another operates the ship's turret.
If the success of Switch 2 is any indication, 2025 was defined by the launch of Nintendo's latest console. Yet Nintendo is surprisingly absent from the top trending games of 2025, with only a single title making the cut: Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Google has shared its annual report about the top trending search topics, including which subjects changed in the year since the previous disclosure.
YouTube has published its list of the top trending topics of 2025, and once again, gaming and pop culture were popular choices for what people watched on the video-streaming website. Out of the trending topics--which aren't ranked in any particular order--US YouTube viewers devoured any content related to the Switch 2 console, Roblox, and the RPG-strategy game Cookie Run Kingdom. Other topics of interest in the US included KPop Demon Hunters, Labubu collectible dolls, and the hit anime series Blue Lock.
Nintendo has provided game file sizes for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Switch and Switch 2, letting console owners know how much space they need to download the first-person adventure game. On Switch 2, Metroid Prime 4 comes in at an estimated 31.6GB, while the original Switch version only takes up 26.3GB, per the Nintendo Store. Intriguingly, though, the eShop accessed via Switch 2 showcases the Switch edition as taking up 28.9GB.
The second generation of Nintendo's beloved hybrid console arrived earlier this year. The Switch 2 has incredible screen quality, backwards compatibility with older Switch games and peripherals, and refined Joy-Con 2 grips (the real necessity of an updated Switch). It's sure to be on many people's Christmas lists, including my own. Sadly the device itself isn't on sale, but there are some bundles and accessories you can shop instead. Whether you're shopping for yourself or your favorite gamer, here's the best deals to grab.
Third party titles seem to be sticking with the standard $60 for the time being. Those also tend to actually go on sale unlike first party Nintendo titles (which do, but far less frequently and with far less substantial discounts). So right now during Black Friday weekend, it's pretty expected to find these Nintendo games are still full price while an awesome title like Star Wars Outlaws has come down by 50%.