Happy Switch 2 Week!

Happy Switch 2 week to those who preordered or plan to try and get one. The new console releases June 5, so your wait is almost over. However, some individuals were able to get their hands on the device early. Find out the details below. Plus, is Apple planning to up their gaming presence? All this and more.  Let’s go!

Apple wants a bigger bite of gaming

Apple is reportedly planning to reveal a new gaming app around the same time as the Switch 2 launch. 

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is planning to unveil a "dedicated gaming app" that "will serve as a launcher for titles and centralize in-game achievements, leaderboards, communications and other activity." The details will be announced at Apple's 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference taking place June 9. 

The new application basically sounds like Apple’s own version of Steam, an app that is also available on Mac. The new app will replace Game Center, Apple’s current gaming program that launched in 2010. It will also integrate Apple Arcade, a subscription-based gaming service. 

Apple recently purchased RAC7, the video game studio behind Sneaky Sasquatch and other games. Will these changes be a game changer for Apple, or just more of the same when gaming on their platform? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Switch 2s are in the wild

Most of us will have to wait until June 5 to get our hands on a Switch 2, but a few people were able to get the new system early.

No, we are not talking about the staff of The Games Letter, or most other games websites for that matter. Russian podcaster Fedor Volkov was one of those who got the new hardware last week. In an interview with Kotaku, Volkov says he found an opportunity to buy a Switch 2 early in a Telegram group. From the article:

He [Volkov’s contact] actually had a guy with an extra Switch 2 on a flight that would be arriving much sooner. Would Volkov be interested? They settled on a price: roughly $800. Volkov conferred with his podcast mates before accepting. “I couldn’t believe I [was] really going to get the Switch 2 nine days before release, first in the world, that we’ll unpack it, unbox it,” he said. “Until I saw the box, until I touched it with my hands, I couldn’t believe that it’s real.”

Volkov produced some videos of the new hardware, but was not able to show much, as the Switch 2 requires a day one patch to work. So, we likely will not see a detailed look at the system until then. 

Other news about the Switch 2 as the world awaits its launch:

• Hoping to use your Switch 2 as a media player? You are out of luck, as streaming apps such as Hulu, Crunchyroll and more are not usable on the device. 
• Nintendo Switch Online N64 games are getting a rewind feature and a CRT filter, but only on the Switch 2.
• Nintendo discusses how a “silly sketch” of a cow in a car became one of the most anticipated characters in Mario Kart World.
• Nintendo says around 75% of the 15,000+ Switch games have now been tested for Switch 2, and only around 170 have issues.

Side Quests (more stories worth reading)

📅 Site news: The Games Letter will arrive Tuesday of next week. 

❎ Microsoft reportedly paused their plans for an Xbox handheld device, instead shifting their focus to optimizing Windows 11 for third-party handhelds. 

🏈 The cover for EA Sports College Football 26 features a pair of wide receivers, Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. The Athletic breaks down the changes in the latest version of the game. 

🖥️ Elden Ring Nightreign launched last week, and players are reporting difficulties with the game’s matchmaking. 

🎙️ It appears a Persona 4 remake was confirmed by one of the game’s voice actors. 

🚀 GamesIndustry.biz has an extensive interview with the developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. 

🌠 Everything old is new again, as Star Wars Battlefront 2 smashes all-time Steam numbers, five years after it was released on the platform. 

⚙️ The Order 1886 was reportedly designed to be a trilogy, but the sequels were cancelled due to poor critical reception of the first game. 

🫰🏽 Discord started rolling out a new currency called Orbs that users can earn by watching advertisements. 

❗ Check out everything announced by independent publisher tinyBuild at their latest showcase. 

🇷🇺 A Russian army-backed propaganda game called Squad 22: ZOV was listed on Steam. 

♟️ Publisher Tabletop Tycoon acquired a number of board game lines from CMON, including Rising Sun, Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Starcadia Quest and Blood Rage. 

💫 A Death Stranding anime is reportedly in the works, according to the game’s creator. 

✊🏻 ZeniMax Workers United union signed a tentative contract agreement with Microsoft after two years of negotiating.

👏🏼 After being delisted for four months, Rollerdome and OlliOlli World have returned to Steam. 

💻 A cult-favorite Flash game has been revived after the original programmer rescued the source code from his kid’s laptop.  

🇵🇱 How the city of Katowice in Poland is aiming to become a global gaming industry giant. 

📈 Round numbers: Atomic Heart surpassed 10 million players, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time sold 500,000 copies in three days, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has sold 60 million copies, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hit 3.3 million sales in 33 days.

New Releases this week: 

Check out our article on 12 New Games to Play in June.

6/3: Rise of Industry 2 (PC)
6/5: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster (Switch 2)
6/5: Mario Kart World (Switch 2)
6/5: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Switch and PC)

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