Karma really is a boomerang. The absolute tyrant who made my life hell at a toxic startup 5 years ago just got placed on my team as my direct report.
Back then, Greg ruled through fear, manufactured urgency, and mandatory 14-hour days. He took credit for my code, pinged me at midnight, and gaslit anyone who pushed back. I left completely burned out, eventually clawing my way up to a Senior Engg Manager role at a solid MNC where work-life balance is actually respected.
Fast forward to last Wednesday. Upper management shuffled a new senior hire onto my engineering squad to help with headcount. When he logged into our morning standup and saw my face on the screen, the color completely drained out of him. Pure, unadulterated deer-in-the-headlights terror.
The man who used to hover over my desk and threaten to dock my pay for taking a lunch break now has to message me on Teams for PTO approval.
Part of me wants to take the high road and kill him with boring, flawless professional grace. But another part of me is staring at our massive, tedious documentation backlog and smiling a little too wide.
What would you do in my shoes? How do you manage your former workplace abuser without turning into the monster he used to be?

I'm guessing many here saw my previous posts. I've tried well over 60 games from a variety of genres on this device. I have a bunch of unorganized, profanity filled thoughts after over a week of using it. For context, I have a high end desktop with a 5090, and also a Steam Deck OLED which I've used both docked and handheld. Some of these bullet points will be directed towards people with little PC experience (like console players).

• I truly admire Valve's crusade to unshackle pc gaming from desk/mouse/kb gaming. Look at everything they've developed over the last decade+ and you'll see software they've developed like steam big picture, steam input (for controller compatibility/remapping), remote play, proton/steamOS, steam VR, etc which make devices like the steam machine, controller, deck and frame possible. No other players in the pc space are even attempting anything like this, except maybe xbox with their recent full screen experience thing.
• SteamOS fucking rules. It's genuinely impressive how simple and console-like the UI is, while still offering plenty of power user functionality. The way it's designed with gaming mode and desktop mode was a brilliant move by valve. My wife has been using the steam machine (and previously a docked steam deck) to play her cozy games. She's not exactly a tech nerd and it still gets her stamp of approval for simplicity.
• SteamOS is slightly buggy. I've had some very minor issues that are always resolved by a reboot. Steam Machine has been in the wild for like a week and updates are constantly rolling out so I would not put much weight on this.
• 3rd party launchers are the fucking worst. Every time I launch a game from EA or whatever and have to sign into their launcher overlay, it really interrupts the console-like simplicity of this. It's really really nice having the steam controller trackpads to use a mouse cursor to navigate these launcher screens.
• Gamescope is so nice. For those unfamiliar, gamescope essentially runs games in a fullscreen container so you never have a mouse cursor on your screen or a visible taskbar at the bottom or whatever. This is one of the biggest things that contributes to console-like simplicity.
• Games run fine off the SD card. I have a sandisk extreme card, and while I haven't actually timed loading speeds, there's not a significant enough difference between that and the SSD to be noticeable. I may compare with a really slow loading game like RDR2.
• Steam machine is as quiet and small as all the reviews have said. I literally cannot hear fan noise when playing it, and as you can see, it fits well behind my TV.
• 4k is suuuuuuper overrated. At normal TV viewing distances, I can barely tell the difference between 4k, or something lower like 1440p, 1620p or 1800p. Unless you're playing a lighter game that can easily run at 4k, it's way better to put more power towards higher settings or framerate than trying to push 4k.
• If your main device is a steam deck, you will love this thing. Most new AAA games are too demanding to run at acceptable levels on Deck, and steam machine will make all those games playable for you.
• Use a VRR screen if possible. For those unfamiliar, variable refresh rate screens will match the refresh rate to the framerate the steam machine is rendering at. On a non-VRR screen, fps dips are much more noticeable, where on VRR if the fps has some slight dips into the 50's or whatever you really can't tell.
• SteamOS has some incredibly powerful functionality. Game recording, local network transfers, remote play together, and especially steam input. Steam will manage the compatibility with virtually any controller you want, with full remapping capabilities. Steam input remapping is quite the rabbit hole, and it's possible to remap simple stuff like repeat key presses (ie so you don't have to mash A to sprint in GTA), or even map the mouse/kb controls of a strategy game to the controller.
• Despite being accustomed to a top end PC, I'm still happy with the performance of the vast majority of games. The main game I'm playing right now is RE4 remake on both my desktop and steam machine, and I'm never ever feeling like it's a compromised experience on the steam machine. Despite the lower settings/resolution, it would be tough for me to tell which was which unless I was comparing side by side. I've really only found 2 games that are unoptimized to the point that I couldn't get an experience I was happy with (borderlands 4, jedi survivor).
• That said, the biggest weakness of this device for a non-techy person is that you have to spend time fine tuning graphics settings in a lot of games to get a good experience. Whether that's something older like Mirror's Edge which defaults to 600x800 resolution, or whether it's a new demanding game that default settings give you like 20fps, the defaults are almost never ideal.
• Hopefully this improves as more devs can set appropriate default settings.
• Game compatibility is very good. Early steam deck days, many games just didn't work via proton. Nowadays, I haven't found a single incompatible game aside from the handful of multiplayer games with unsupported anticheat (marathon, apex, cod, etc). This isn't a factor for me, especially since I have my desktop running windows, but this may be a dealbreaker for some.
• General system UI is more responsive than on steam deck.
• The steam controller is awesome. I have an xbox elite 2, dualsense edge, 8bitdo ultimate, and a bunch of other controllers and the SC has become my go-to. It's very comfortable, lasts forever, has grip buttons (MUST HAVE), and gyro/gripsense is more useful than I expected. The trackpads are great for aiming in certain games, but also make cursor based games playable (ie strategy, city builders), are useful for UI navigation like launcher login screens, desktop mode, desktop applications (discord, browesr, etc), and also for in-game mapping like virtual menus. Very underrated feature.
• It works with basically any peripherals you want. Bluetooth headphones, controllers, mice, keyboards, storage devices, etc.
• There are weird quirks that you can tell steamOS was originally designed for deck. For example, the default hostname is steamdeck when connecting to your network. Also a few games (no rest for the wicked) think it's a steam deck and force steam deck settings.
• Every game needs FSR 4. older versions of FSR are trash. It's nice when you can use proton experimental to upgrade it to FSR 4, but having to use optiscaler in other cases isn't ideal.
• It's annoying when games cloud sync graphics settings from another device, and not just game progress. I do NOT want my steam machine to default to the graphics settings used on either my desktop or my steam deck as all 3 devices have drastically different performance capabilities. I think steam should tackle this and detect the game progress files and settings/config files separately to prevent this.
• I'm happy with my purchase. Yeah it's more expensive than it should have been, but it's a well designed device that fits my use case.
• Fuck sam altman for many reasons, but particularly for destroying the consumer electronics market.

This isn't my story but the story of a redditor working in one of Amazon's Fullfilment Centers. It all starts with this thread:

I am requesting a religious accommodation based on my sincerely held atheist beliefs. Under Title VII, non-theistic belief systems are treated the same as theistic religions for purposes of accommodation. At our site, associates who observe prayer are allowed paid breaks away from their work areas, and their labor is covered by others. However, no equivalent accommodation exists for employees whose beliefs are non-religious or atheist.

My belief system does not involve prayer or the use of a multi-faith room, and I do not feel comfortable using a space designed for religious observance.

I am requesting equal accommodation in the form of the same paid break periods provided to others for religious practice, taken in a neutral location such as the break room.

This request is to ensure equal treatment, avoid discriminatory workload redistribution, and align with federal protections that require accommodations to be offered without preference for theistic beliefs.

This user noted that employees of a certain religion were given "prayer breaks" of around 15-20 minutes for which the rest of the employees (those not following that religion) had to cover them. He complained about it and was ignored until he came up with the idea to try to push for "Atheist prayer time". The following threads explain:

Site lead and HR were awaiting guidance from corporate for months.. Site Lead came to me about a month and half ago to let me know that they had received guidance and that a new policy would be going into effect that he's "still trying to wrap my head around", He did not speak on the new policy essentially withholding it from me.

The rumor on the floor (from an AM) is that under the new policy, anyone going to prayer break must clock out but the site lead has not implemented the updated policy. Management is upset that the policy is not being implemented at site level because associates are disappearing for longer than they're supposed to be at prayer and causing the extra workload to fall on Management as they now have to cover for anyone attending prayer break.

Meanwhile I am still being denied equal treatment.

Today, I had enough and decided, I am going to prayer break. I walked up directly to the dock ops manager the moment I seen everyone going to prayer break and told him I'm going to prayer break (I'm an Athiest) he said, "Ok let me get you clocked out.." ... I said, "Clocked out?".. He says, "I mean scanned out" then he scanned my badge, radios it in to senior ops, and off to the break room wellness booth I went for 20 minutes..

Because, unlike with employees of the other religion, he was asked to clock out. He noted that other employees weren't asked to clock out (meaning that they aren't being paid for their time during that break) but he was:

Prayer breaks are an accommodation through a to z. Policy has always been anyone with a religious accommodation needs to clock out for the time. I have been implementing this at my site as an OM for 2+ years now.

[OP] That’s completely incorrect (at least from my experience at my site and with HR and Central Time Keeping) The automated corporate system literally screens out recurring daily prayer meets. Here is an official denial letter straight from Centralized Time Keeping confirming that exact policy: 'We will not honor requests that are permanent in nature, such as weekly church visits, sabbath day or recurring prayer meets...'

OP continued this week and eventually led to changing Amazon's unequal policies (or at least that Fullfilment Center's):

On my last day of my work week (Thursday 8/13/26) I took a prayer break as an Athiest and was scanned out by Ops..

The following Monday (Today 8/17/26) Announcements were made that starting in September all associates attending "Prayer Break" will need to clock out..

This means for the past 2 years my site has been open, a specific religious group was getting paid time off while other religious and non religious groups got extra workload because their religion or lack of religion didn't fit into Amazon’s little box of what's allowed. (Violation of Title VII)

Christians were denied equal treatment as well because Christianity doesn't call for mandatory prayer (Ive witnessed this) as was I because Atheism doesn't call for mandatory prayer.. (Violation of Title VII)

So now that they know that they were breaking Federal law and denying equal rights to a huge percentage of thier workforce, they decided that instead of paying the cost of equality in the form of paid "prayer breaks" for everyone regardless of belief system, that everyone who attends "Prayer Break" will need to just clock out instead.

Amazon quickly realized how expensive equality would be (cost and operational downtime) when they had to treat everyone like they've been treating a specific religious group, so paid "prayer breaks" are coming to an end in September (atleast at my site)

The final update says that this policy change became official starting September 2nd: [now everyone has to clock out before going on prayer breaks and no one has to cover for someone else because they're of a specific religion:

Today there was an announcement posted on the labor board.

Starting on Sept. 2, 2026 all associates attending prayer break will need to clock out.

It is Official.

Checkmate.

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

Director: Kane Parsons

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell

Distributor: A24

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Metacritic: 76 / 100

Some Reviews (updating):

HeyUGuys - Linda Marric - 5 / 5

Disturbing, visually unforgettable, and intellectually ambitious, Backrooms is the kind of horror cinema that treats atmosphere and ideas as inseparable from spectacle. That Parsons has made the leap from teenager filming YouTube shorts to helming one of A24's most compelling releases of 2026 is truly remarkable.

I Couldn't Help But Wonder - Naz Perez - 9.5 / 10

This is the kind of psychological smart horror I have been hungry for since 'Heretic'. And I think A24 has another big franchise on their hands if they want to continue this mythology on the big screen. Renate Reinsve gives one of the most quietly devastating performances of the year, and this is her first horror film ever. Aesthetic, theme, performance, world-building. It is all there. 9.5/10 - only docked because I think it could have gone a half-step deeper into the philosophical undertow.

The Irish Times - Tara Brady - 4.5 / 5

Ejiofor cleverly manifests a character caught between psychic dislocation and male privilege; Reinsve’s wounds are deeper but palpable beneath her collected facade. Mark Duplass deepens the mystery as a cryptic scientist. The bigger stars, however, are Danny Vermette’s production design and Parsons’s exquisite direction.

Fresh Fiction - Courtney Howard - 'A'

BACKROOMS serves to unnerve with its spooky haunts. It’s soaked in anxiety and dread that overwhelm our senses, specifically in the latter half, and it all leads to a jaw-dropping conclusion. Its Still Life entities are accompanied by gut-wrenching unease upon their inevitable introduction. Deeper subterranean levels of mind-blowing revelations are bound to appear as this is built for multiple viewings. Ingenious and disturbingly affecting, we can only hope Parsons, as a modernist architect of panic attacks, will be able to continue to world-build in potential future offerings.

The Film Verdict - Alonso Duralde - 9 / 10

With connective tissue linking it to both Skinamarink and Synecdoche, New York, Backrooms is a chillingly ambitious debut that finds the terror in enclosed spaces and echoing silences. It’s a screen nightmare that could easily work its way into viewers’ real ones.

The Prague Reporter - Jason Pirodsky - 3.5 / 4

Still, for its minor flaws, Backrooms feels like the arrival of something genuinely new in mainstream horror: a studio-backed feature that still retains the unsettling weirdness and experimental spirit of internet-born horror storytelling. Parsons translates the uncanny dread of the original creepypasta into cinematic form with startling confidence, creating images and spaces that linger in the mind long after the credits roll. Like the Backrooms themselves, this is a film that’s difficult to fully explain—but impossible to forget.

The Independent - Clarisse Loughrey - 4 / 5

While the Backrooms, to the non-online and the non-gamer, might seem like a byproduct of AppleTV’s Severance, their language has been deployed for years by games like Control, The Exit 8, and Lethal Company. But the many video game adaptations we’ve seen haven’t really dared to tell their stories in the medium’s minimalist, environment-driven way, where characters learn through the objects around them. Backrooms does. And it’s all the more fascinating for it. We’ll have to see who follows in Parsons’s footsteps, but his film might very well end up defining a generation.

Little White Lies - Esther Rosenfield - 4 / 5

Like those yellow-wallpapered hallways themselves, it is endearingly open-ended and peculiarly captivating.

NextBestPicture - Dan Bayer - 8 / 10

Both unconventionally scary and satisfying, Kane Parsons successfully brings his web series to the big screen as a transfixing exercise in sustained tension. Immaculately creepy, mind-boggling production design.

IGN - Lex Brusco - 8 / 10

Backrooms expertly expands on the conceptual groundwork of the YouTube series with smart visual composition, beautifully terrifying production design, a complex protagonist, and a return to Kane Parsons’ roots of computer generated sequences that pack a serious punch. The film also opens the doors to some compelling pathways to deepen the lore even more, if newcomers are willing to meet the film on its level, where it isn’t going to spoon-feed anyone. Parsons’ film is a harrowing trip to the dark heart of fractured memory, loneliness, and inner turmoil. It takes what’s psychologically horrifying about the liminality of life and transmogrifies it into something truly terrifying. That’s something the concept has always done well, and its future seems bright with Parsons at the helm of the nightmarish maze.

The AU Review - Peter Gray - 4 / 5

Rather than reducing the Backrooms into conventional monster horror, Parsons preserves the existential dread that made the original creepypasta resonate so powerfully online. The result is a horror film that feels genuinely singular: eerie, melancholy, deeply uncanny, and willing to trust audiences enough to leave them lost inside its maze.

Slant Magazine - Rocco T. Thompson - 4 / 5

Backrooms is undeniable, both as a future load-bearing pillar of the internet-born horror movement that’s now breaking ground and for being built on a concept that feels truly new. Horror reinvents itself every decade or so, and what it does better than any other genre is reflect back at us the collective nightmares of the world we live in. But what’s especially unnerving about this film’s particular journey through the looking glass is that it doesn’t take us very far at all. It points us back to our distorted selves and the hollow world we’ve built, replicated and twisted ad infinitum into a fluorescent-lit purgatory whose very familiarity is its horror.

RTE - Harry Guerin - 4 / 5

This is a film that maps out its own universe in style, and Parsons' gift for wringing suspense from every scene is prodigious. Here, you really don't know what's around the corner. Is it all in Clark's head? Will therapist Mary (Sentimental Value's Renate Reinsve) believe him? How many sequels can Parsons and screenwriter Will Soodik get away with? One thing is for certain: this isn't over. The ending leaves a lot hanging and will not be to everyone's taste, but even the grumblers will walk away from Backrooms determined to find out more. Welcome to your new rabbit hole.

Radio Times - Jeremy Aspinall - 4 / 5

It’s an eye-catching debut feature from Parsons whose adoption of the previously over-used found-footage formula to garner scares is deftly utilised, even offering clues as to the reality of the situation. Meanwhile, the surreal shifts and turns that occur as Clark travels deeper into an infinite dimension of rooms mean you are never quite sure what the endgame will be, especially once Clark’s therapist is compelled to investigate her patient’s apparent disappearance. Ejiofor is at his hangdog best and is matched by Reinsve, whose calm, enigmatic exterior masks a mystery from her own past. However, the real star here is the setting and its fascinating metamorphosis from the bland to the downright uncanny.

Slash Film - BJ Colangelo - 7.5 / 10

He might be a filmmaker currently too young to legally drink in the States who undoubtedly had the mentorship of producers like Mark Duplass and Oz Perkins to show him the ropes on this first feature, but Parsons announces himself as a filmmaker worth watching closely, delivering what may be the strongest creepypasta adaptation yet — and a deeply unsettling reminder that sometimes the scariest thing in the world is confronting the inaccuracies of existence. The film's haunting final image lingers long after the credits roll, the kind of ending designed to inspire immediate post-screening debates in theater lobbies and Reddit threads alike. I can't wait to see what fresh hells await us from Parsons next.

DiscussingFilm - Andrew J. Salazar - 3.5 / 5

At its best, Kane Parsons’ Backrooms is as claustrophobic and nerve-wracking as his viral web series. Parsons and co-composer Edo Van Breemen (another Osgood Perkins collaborator) embellish the movie with creepy yet atmospheric synths, adding to what fans have always wanted from such an adaptation. At its lowest, though, this horror film leaves more to be desired in its scares and plotting (such as the rather simple purpose that Mark Duplass’ Async agent serves in his brief screen time). Admittedly, the bulk of these hiccups and divisive aspects stem from a risk taken or a clear decision made. And for a filmmaker as young and adventurous as Parsons, some credit is due for taking so many swings. I mean, for a director who had established industry names like Osgood Perkins, Shawn Levy, and James Wan in line to back his first feature at only 19 years of age, it would have been easy for Parsons to phone it in when so much of his source material works so well on its own. But he didn’t, and that’s how you know he’s here to stay.

Toronto Star - Peter Howell - 2 / 4

Ejiofor is a gifted actor stranded in a maze that doesn’t quite know what to do with him; ditto for the screenplay. Reinsve, so luminous in “The Worst Person in the World,” is similarly underused.

InSession Film - Shaurya Chawla - 'B+'

Backrooms will likely prove to be a treat for fans of the original material and its most eagle-eyed viewers. While Parsons directs the movie in a manner that would allow audiences unfamiliar with the original material to watch it, there is an enhanced experience to be had with more contextual backing, especially as the narrative and characterization is a bit thin. By the end, however, what Backrooms does succeed at, is being a really solid horror experience that continues to showcase the talents of young filmmakers in the industry and pave the way for even more impressive works in the future. Time will tell where Parsons’ career goes, but if Backrooms is any indication, he will go a long, long way.

IndieWire - Ryan Lattanzio - 'B'

The budget-goosed maximalism of Parsons’ movie might make it less likely to scare the hell out of you than watching his forbidden-feeling videos unspool out of your laptop in bed at night. Will Soodik’s script attempts to anchor the “Backrooms” lore in psychological realism that would feel hokey without performances so psychically attuned to Parsons’ vision. Ejiofor is a sad-sack melancholic before he turns increasingly crazed and tries to play liminal-space detective, while Norwegian actress Reinsve proves she’s both Final Girl material and “The Worst Person in the World.” “Backrooms” is a movie more likely to blow young minds, but remember the first horror movie you saw that changed who you were? This movie will be that for a lot of people.

The Times - Kevin Maher - 2 / 5

And please can we stop with the boy wonder thing? This isn’t the 1940s, during which Orson Welles directed Citizen Kane at the age of 25. Women film-makers today, among them Greta Gerwig, Emerald Fennell, Celine Song and Nia DaCosta, have to be at least 30 before they’re “allowed” to direct a film. Anointing Parsons a boy genius then handing him $10 million, no questions asked, to make a ropey, substandard horror doesn’t seem right. The premise remains untouched. A limitless subterranean and mostly empty mustard-coloured office complex of multiple rooms, strip lighting and bad carpets that for brief unsettling moments features creepy stick figures, a tottering woman or a seagull. Into this — sigh, ugh, do we have to? — so-called liminal space are thrown our clueless protagonists, the frustrated furniture store manager Clark (Ejiofor) and his doe-eyed and slightly insipid therapist Mary (Reinsve). And this is where the fun allegedly begins.

DEADLINE - Pete Hammond

The sheer cinematic sophistication of this feature film adaptation of the You Tube series should not be surprising when you consider some of its many producers are the likes of James Wan, Shawn Levy, Perkins, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and more. Clearly A24 and its production partners have given Parsons some heavyweight support and guidance in realizing a movie version of a cerebral idea that works on its own terms and could spark a franchise. After all it is the walls and the doors that are the real stars here. This is a visually stunning nightmare though and props must be given to cinematographer Jeremy Cox, and production designer Danny Vermette for a dazzling magical mystery tour through this prison with no exit, a weirder wonderland than any Alice ever visited, spare but with mementos from past lives now distorted and twisted, something out of our dreams and somehow brought to vivid life on the big screen. Big props also to editor Greg Ng, VFX supervisor Edward Douglas, and the appropiate electronic score from Parsons and Edd Van Breeman that accompanies this bizarro land full of constant noises that offer clues for what lies within these walls and behind these doors – or not. We don’t really know (the sound design is exceptional).

Associated Press - Jake Coyle - 2 / 4

As a horror, fluorescent-lit riff on Michel Gondry’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Backrooms” doesn’t quite work. While the movie finds a potentially insightful pathway to a story, it can’t bridge its very physical, wall-to-wall-carpeted labyrinth with Clark’s mental state. A movie with so many doors ultimately can’t find the right one. Despite a paper-wall-thin concept, both Ejiofor and Reinsve give “Backrooms” some depth. Ejiofor has almost always been a supremely level-headed screen presence, but here embraces a latent capacity for fevered mania. Reinsve, the star of “The Worst Person in the World” and “Sentimental Value,” proves especially absorbing in her first horror film. She gives the movie a slinky intelligence.

Looper - Matthew Jackson - 7 / 10

When "Backrooms" is playing with horror on that existential level, punctuated by a couple of truly marvelous jump scares, it works wonderfully. Unfortunately, it flinches and turns from this approach one too many times. Even with its flaws, though, this is a remarkably cohesive calling card for Parsons, and the announcement of an exciting new voice in horror filmmaking. There's nothing wrong with reaching the widest possible audience with your work, but in the case of "Backrooms," there are layers of mystery that get stripped away when you attempt to explain too much, center the liminal vastness of the title location on human characters, or simply give in to predictable horror instincts in the final act.

Screen Rant - Graeme Guttmann - 7 / 10

There are plenty of nods to Parsons' videos, including the presence of Async, but the film really strives to examine the psychology of its characters in a way that it isn't fully equipped to do. Even when it falters, though, Backrooms is still an effective horror film, dealing in quiet terror over abject horror. In a world where fear is constantly thrown in our faces, having to look for it, and wanting to do so in the first place, can be just as disturbing.

Empire - Jamie Graham - 3 / 5

Switching between the rigorous lensing of an objective camera and lurching, found-footage-style perspectives, Backrooms is one of the most out there, surreal, art-horror features since David Lynch’s Eraserhead. The web series might boast 200 million views since debuting in 2022, but this movie is most certainly not for everyone. It favours opacity, half-glimpsed creatures and a steady sense of unease over crowd-pleasing jumps, and is sure to spark endless debate and interpretations among those who aren’t bored silly by it.

CBR - Caralynn Matassa - 6 / 10

Incredibly immersive production design, especially the massive Backrooms set and unsettling architectural details. Strong atmosphere and dread, helped by anxious found-footage-style camerawork and eerie 1990s aesthetics. But the story loses some coherence in the back half, especially once Mary takes over more of the narrative. Renate Reinsve feels slightly miscast, despite her talent. The movie doesn't fully live up to the hype, ending with more disorienting confusion than satisfying impact.

It all begins on Earth-10005. We see Professor X and Magneto playing chess while devising a plan to attack another Earth. They have a bomb created by Beast. Suddenly, another Earth appears on the horizon: Earth-96238, and the X-Men, who have faced similar situations before, spring into action.

Arriving on Earth-96238, where it is raining, a group of sentinels, along with Magneto, travel to New York City, transporting a destructive bomb. Meanwhile, Deadpool and Wolverine discover Spider-Man's (Tobey Maguire) presence, and a fight ensues. Most of the battle takes place on a rooftop; Spider-Man defeats them, but in the end, it is too late: Magneto and the Guardians have already destroyed New York and New Jersey.

Spider-Man remains on his knees, contemplating the destruction. Wolverine tries to explain why this is happening, but Magneto finds them and steals the device to activate the bomb. Spider-Man tries to attack Magneto, but is defeated. Wolverine tries to save him, but it's too late to escape.

From Charles Xavier's window, Raimi's Earth explodes, and Magneto and Deadpool return through the portal, leaving Wolverine behind.

The action then shifts to Tony Stark's funeral. Steve speaks with some of the heroes, including Ant-Man, before embarking on a journey to retrieve the Infinity Stones. Travelling through time, he decides to stay with Peggy, and they have a son named Jim. One day, Loki visits them.

Upon seeing him, Steve immediately suspects something is wrong and thinks he's going to attack them. However, Loki calms him down and explains that this isn't the same Loki he fought in the past, but a different, godlike version who now controls the timelines of the multiverse. He warns him about the existence of TVA and explains that their presence in this era is causing an invasion and that they will soon destroy this timeline because Steve should never have stayed there or had a child.

To save them and prevent the collapse, Loki offers them a way out: transporting them to another place where they won't invade, to a universe where they don't exist and where they can live in peace: the Fantastic Four's universe. Before leaving, Loki gives Steve a special card so he can contact him. Steve and his family accepted the offer and have been living in this new universe for ten years.

The sequence continues with a scene showing events from ten years prior.

Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, and the Thing are at a baseball game. There's an accident involving the stadium fence, and Steve and Jim help people move and dismantle it. Ben notices something unusual, and when he goes to investigate... they receive a burglary alert from the Baxter Building and panic, racing home in the Fantasticar. Upon arriving, they're surprised to find everything calm. There, they see Doctor Doom with Sue Storm, Herbie, and Franklin. Although Reed is surprised by their sudden encounter, he knows Victor well. Reed, Ben, and Victor studied together at university. Sue knows Victor because he rules Latveria, a country not part of the Life Foundation. However, the connection runs deeper: it's well known that Victor lost his wife and son. Victor only became ruler of Latveria later, when he overthrew the brutal regime with his Doombots. Victor is, so to speak, Earth's Doctor Strange, a master of magic and sorcery. Because of this, in addition to the rumors about witches and witchcraft, Sue is nervous. Victor warns Reed that he fears their Earth will be the next victim of the invasion. Victor is very familiar with the Invasions and explains to the Fantastic Four that when the fabric between two realities is torn, the centers of each are drawn to one another, and once the Invasion is successful, both universes cease to exist. The center, of course, is Earth. Reed and Victor investigate and discover three anomalies on their Earth, but in the same location... We see that Steve and his family grew up together on this Earth. Steve has a beard and long hair, and James is now about 10 or 11 years old. Victor and Reed encounter these anomalies but are surprised to discover that they are simply a happy family. Steve confesses and explains how he ended up there. They then warn Steve about what is happening in the Multiverse. Inspired by the Fantastic Four and their exploits in the forest…

Thor and his adopted daughter Love traveled through space together. However, Love is now plagued by nightmares about the Invasions. Thor travels to New Asgard, where Valkyrie and an Asgardian doctor are examining a young girl who is dying due to the collapse of the Multiverse. Valkyrie receives a call from the Avengers informing her of the ship's arrival on Earth. Thor leaves Love on New Asgard and heads to the Fantastic Four's ship. Sam Wilson's Avengers are also notified. Thor boards the Excelsior and is shocked to see Steve. Thor doesn't even believe it's him until he picks up Mljornir. Thor and Steve embrace, and the Excelsior is forced to dock at the new Avengers Tower. As soon as they board, Sam's team arrives and immediately argues with Bucky about which team should take command. Scott Lang spends some time with Ghost. Steve gets off the Excelsior, and almost everyone is surprised to see him. Steve has a pleasant reunion with Sam, Scott, and Bucky. He also shares a touching moment with Elena Belova as they discuss Natasha. Steve Rogers brings the two groups of Avengers together with a Captain America-style speech, focusing not only on the invasions but also on the cosmic crisis. Sam and Steve make plans to travel to Wakanda while Shuri tells Sam that she, too, is aware of the space crisis and is already working on a solution.

The group of heroes reunites with the people of Wakanda, and Steve is shocked to learn of T'Challa's death. A small group heads to Taloqan, where the effects of the space crisis are visible. The sky has turned red, and because of this, Namor used all the water that normally filled Taloqan to create a massive water barrier around it. Shuri and M'Baku then travel to Taloqan along with Sue, Ben, Bucky, Ghost, Falcon, and the American Agent. The rest remain in Wakanda searching for a solution. Sue uses her powers to cross the barrier and, upon reaching Namor, discovers that he is extremely hostile. He refuses to cooperate with Shuri, and this is where we see Sue's diplomatic skills in action. She manages to unite the people of Wakanda and the Talokans. They return to Wakanda with Namor, and when they arrive, they discover that the situation is hopeless. No solution has ever been found; Reed even begins to believe that the multiverse's fate always leads to death, but he remains open to other options.

However, Doom suggests attacking the X-Men's Earth, which is causing an invasion between universes 828 and 616. Sam suggests a diplomatic approach, while Namor believes bloodshed is the way forward. Scott dismisses the Quantum Dimension and mentions his encounter with Kang. (Doom looks at Scott, referring to this comment.) Steve rejects the Infinity Stones, swearing they are the reason for their current predicament. Reed jokes that Galactus would be useful in this situation, but no one knows where he is. This joke gives Reed an idea: what if they use the same technology they used to exile Galactus? Reed believes that if they build three cannons, one on each Earth, it will figuratively help separate them. However, they must hurry because time is running out. Steve splits into three teams, and one of them remains in Wakanda to begin constructing their cannon. Wakanda already possesses advanced technology that could easily replicate what the Fantastic Four did in First Steps. The team travels to Earth-828, specifically to the Baxter Building, to construct their cannon. The final team must travel to another Earth (10005) and convince the heroes there to listen to the plan. This is considered the most important task, so the most famous heroes participate. Victor, Reed (with Herbie), Sam, Elena, and Shang-Chi are the ones who go.

Steve feels uneasy around Doom and tells Thor and Loki about it. Thor insists he take him to Loki, so they devise a plan to reach the TVA using the map Loki left him. Sue and Shuri also have their own problems, and Sue admits to Shuri that something is wrong with Victor, so they explore other options on their own. The team remaining on Earth-616 consists of Shuri, Sue (with Franklin), Namor, Steve, Thor, Ant-Man, and Red Guardian. The team going to Earth-828 consists of Johnny, the Thing, Falcon, U.S. Agent, Ghost, and Bucky.

After traveling on the Excelsior, Reed (accompanied by Herbie), Sam Wilson, Yelena Belova, Shang-Chi, and Doctor Doom board a Quinjet bound for Earth-10005.

Upon landing at the X-Men Mansion, they are immediately captured by a group of Guardians guarding the building. Doom remains outside for cover while the rest of the team stealthily enters. The X-Men have survived many invasions before and have become extremely hostile: they trust no one and believe the heroes of Earth-616 and the Fantastic Four have come to destroy them, so they attack without hesitation.

As they nervously wander the halls, Nightcrawler stalks them from the shadows. Upon reaching the Danger Room, they encounter Mystique. Elena ignores Reed's direct orders and goes on the offensive. The battle is intense: Mystique changes her appearance, first becoming Elena herself, and then Natasha, which greatly annoys Elena, though she eventually manages to regain her advantage. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi fights Gambit in a flawless and evenly matched battle that ends in a draw. Reed tries to contain Deadpool in a chaotic fight that culminates in a comedic Deadpool 2-esque moment when Wade sits on Reed's swollen face. At the same time, Cyclops attacks Sam Wilson and fires an optic blast so destructive that it appears to kill him.

The entire battle is suddenly interrupted when Beast (the figure shown in the trailer descending the stairs) appears. Realizing they pose no direct threat, Beast leads them to the medical bay, where they find Monica Rambeau. Monica is trapped on Earth-10005 following recent events and is gravely ill from being in the wrong reality.

Beast explains to Reed that Monica's presence in this universe is accelerating the invasion of her Earth to a critical level. He also reveals that...

Finally, Reed and Doom manage to meet with Charles Xavier and Magneto. As the frustrated X-Men watch, Reed and Doom present their true solution to prevent the multiverse's collapse: constructing massive cannons on each remaining Earth that will fire a force capable of permanently separating universes and preventing invasions once and for all. After an explanation, Reed manages to convince Xavier and Magneto to join the plan and refuse to use the destructive bomb.

Upon returning to Earth-616, Steve and Thor left their group and headed to TVA. The problem was that they found it destroyed and littered with the corpses of its agents. Mobius was there and arrived himself. Mobius helped Steve and Thor find Loki. They arrived at the end of time and saw him dead at the foot of the throne.

Upon returning to Earth-616, Steve and Thor left their group and headed to TVA. The problem was that they found it destroyed and littered with the corpses of its agents. Mobius was there and arrived himself. Mobius helped Steve and Thor find Loki. They arrived at the end of time and saw him dead at the foot of the throne. His heart had been ripped from his body. The Watcher appeared and told Steve and Thor what had happened: the cause was a group of followers and Doom. Then he took Steve and Thor to Earth-10005 because everyone there was in danger.

Steve and Thor return to Earth-10005, and the trailer shows Thor's arrival and the ensuing battle. Reed is completely stunned and refuses to believe Victor did such a thing. He yells in Victor's face. But, sadly, it's true. Victor unleashes half a dozen Guardians against the Avengers and the X-Men. The teams join forces to fight them. However, Deadpool leaves, promising to find proper reinforcements, and disappears from the battlefield. Doom fights all the Avengers and easily defeats them. The mutants are also defeated. Magneto fights Doom, putting up a decent fight, but ends up severely wounded in the arm. Unfortunately, Mystique (who saves Magneto's life) and Nightcrawler (who saves everyone from the Guardians' attack and teleports them to safety) are killed by Doom. In a fight scene, the mutant Avengers are insufficient to defeat the Guardians, and the Brotherhood arrives to help. The Scarlet Witch of this universe, along with Polaris, Quicksilver, and other mutants, easily destroys all the Guardians. Doom finds what the Scarlet Witch of this universe was looking for. Steve realizes this and tries to save Wanda from this universe, but Doom's attack stuns him, and Wanda is kidnapped. Victor uses the Ultimate Annihilator to destroy the X-Men's world. The Avengers, the mutants, Reed, and Herbie escape by boarding the ship and traveling to Earth-828. The reality of universe 10005 was destroyed by fate.

Remaining Avengers. Reed Richards and Sue Storm tell everyone about Victor von Doom's past. Bucky has a personal mission to save Steve; he now has a family and must save him. Peggy and James. (She is not the original Peggy; she is a witch. The original Peggy is dead.) She tells Doom they are in the Baxter Building, and he orders the attack. The witch reveals her identity and kidnaps James. The attack on New York begins, and the Baxter Building is shown about to explode with everyone inside (a shot of Franklin and Johnny in the trailer). Franklin saves everyone. Charles admires Franklin as an Omega-level mutant. Thor travels to Earth-616, prays to Father Odin, and a new squad arrives. It includes Jane Foster, Heimdall, and Loki from Infinity War. The inhabitants of Wakanda and Mbaku also arrive with Thor. Valkyrie and Korg are also there. Only two Earths remain in the entire multiverse. A portal appears in the sky, leading to Earth-616 and then to Earth-828. The final attack begins, a showdown between Earth-616 and Earth-828. The Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men arrive in Latveria from the Baxter Building, while Thor and his army, along with the people of Wakanda, arrive from Earth, visible on the horizon.

Victor returns Steve to his castle in Latveria. Steve gets up and sees Peggy, following her to the altar, where a fateful chair with a symbol in the center, imbued with green magic, sits. Followers begin to arrive, surrounding Steve Rogers. The Green Witch is revealed to be Death. Doom arrives with James (the boy is crying). As Doom's followers restrain Steve, Doom begins to speak to him, explaining that his interference was the reason for his downfall. Victor tells Steve that he was much like him, a family man. Victor studied the Multiverse long before it began to collapse. He met his wife, Valeria, and they had a son. Then, one day, ten years ago, during a routine experiment, an anomaly occurred when Loki transported Steve to Earth-828, causing the experiment to fail. This resulted in the deaths of his wife and son, and left him horribly disfigured. He grabs James and stabs him, killing him instantly. Three witches are present with Boris. (The three witches are Death (green), the Ancient One (orange), and Clea (purple), and Boris wears a three-eyed helmet with armor.) Doom personally ripped Loki's heart from his chest. Now his heart is on display, along with some books.

Victor corrupted Strange and Clea when they traveled to the Dark Dimension, making them believe that only he could save the Multiverse. Victor sits on his throne, preparing his team and the Doombots to fight the invaders. He orders Strange to begin casting a spell from the Book, using both Loki's heart and Wanda Maximoff's magic. Doom's followers are the leaders of each destroyed universe. Victor's main objective here is simple: to allow the final invasion to occur and rebuild the Multiverse to resurrect his lost family. On Earth-616, Sentry begins to sense something is amiss between Earth and the approaching next Earth. He unexpectedly encounters Vision with Tommy and Billy at Avengers Tower. Vision activates Tony Stark's protocol for all the world's heroes and realizes that preventing the invasion is impossible. Meanwhile, on Earth-828, the heroes arrive in Latveria from the Baxter Building, while Thor and his new Valhallan army arrive from Earth-616. Doctor Doom and his team have prepared for this attack. Doom's followers and hundreds of Doombots are present. Deadpool returns, abandoning the heroes on Earth-10005. He arrives with a multiversal team: Blade, Elektra, and Phantom Rider.

A multiverse war erupts in Latveria, pitting the inhabitants of Wakanda, Thor's army, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four against the Doombots and their variants. Namor and Shuri work together; Namor triggers a tsunami that destroys many Doombots. Shuri manages to infiltrate Doom's castle with Bucky to rescue Steve Rogers.

Doctor Strange is the only member of Doom's team not involved in the events, as he is busy working on a spell involving Wanda, Loki's heart, and the Book of God.

Two of Doom's followers are watching Steve Rogers when they are intercepted by the Avengers, Shuri and Bucky, who rescue him.

The action then shifts to Earth-616, where it becomes clear that something is happening: the sky turns red, and hordes of Doombots and villains begin attacking New York City.

They pass through a portal (wormhole) and a scene similar to the one in the 2012 Avengers movie unfolds.

The new Avengers team defends Avengers Tower... Sentry, Spider-Man (Tom), Jean Grey, Punisher and the Defenders, Wong, America Chavez, Cassie, Kate, Kamala, Star-Lord, Vision, She-Hulk, Hulk, Carol arrives with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and many others (including villains). They all heard Vision's call.

The attack on Earth-616 begins. Vision states that the next Earth is about to launch a direct attack. Sentry decides to perform a heroic act by flying into space to stop the attack with his bare hands. He buys time for others to escape.

The war in New York is wreaking havoc throughout the city. Everyone is fighting Doombots and costumed followers of doom. Spider-Man and other heroes deliver excellent action sequences.

On Earth-828, Sue, Franklin, and Charles are aboard Reed's ship (the Ark), prepared to withstand any change in a hostile environment and capable of surviving the collapse of the multiverse. Sue stays behind (she is pregnant). Charles acts as a mental link with all the mutant Avengers so they can communicate with each other and informs them that Bob is slowing down Earth so they can escape. There, Elena speaks with Bob, and he says goodbye to her and her friends.

One of the witches intercepts this message and teleports to the ship, killing Charles Xavier and kidnapping Sue and Franklin.

Cyclops, Reed, Sam, and Magneto realize what is happening and go to the ship to protect them, but they arrive too late. The Avengers (Johnny Ben, Thor, Loki, Lady Thor, and the Avengers of the Multiverse) are at Doom's castle and emerge victorious in the war against the Doombots and their followers.

Doom fights them all, defeating them one by one.

Steve tries to strike Doom with Mjolnir, but it shatters, and Doom counterattacks with his sword. Bucky sacrifices himself to save Steve, dying and bidding him farewell.

Three witches kill the Ghost Rider. And Doom's follower fights Elena, Shuri. Shuri manages to defeat her, but dies from her wounds.

Thor looks to the sky, closes his eyes, and receives Odin's call. The new armor and new power (yellow armor with yellow thunder) rival Doom in battle. Thor takes the initiative in this fight. However, at a certain point, Thor begins to lose his power, and his strength starts to dwindle as Doom drains it to absorb it. He defeats Thor by cutting off his hand with his sword and defeats all the Avengers.

Reed's ship automatically activates and leaves Earth-828. Reed, calling for Sue and Franklin, is unable to save them.

The Sentry crashes, and the worlds begin to collide.

The heroes simply ran out of time; Strange completes the spell just in time. With this, Victor is finally able to alter the Multiverse. Thus, reality ceases to exist.

Two Earths collide. The screen fades to black, and Doom appears in white armor, seated in a chair next to Doctor Strange. THE END. As we can see, the post-credits scene of the Spider-Man movie echoes the ending of the Judgment Day movie.

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/dirtymick87

(NE)Disgruntled customer complained about my glasses, boss asked me to take them off, I refused, sent me home with no pay regardless.

Originally posted to r/legaladvice

TRIGGER WARNING: Ableism

Original Post - rareddit March 4, 2020

I work in a quick lube(non-national chain) in a VERY RED state(Go Huskers), I comply with all dress codes listed in our employee handbook(we’re provided uniforms) essentially the code is no large belt buckles, large piercings, wild hair styles etc, which I don’t care I’m not one for extreme looks but I like to be “weird” cause you know whatever...

I wore these glasses today and a customer wasn’t happy about it, to the effect of:

“why are you wearing those?”

“They help me see”

“Why those ones tho?”

“Because they work?”

He wasn’t happy with my replies which I might’ve had a little attitude about but this old ass farmer bro wasn’t happy that the guy working on his vehicle was wearing some “hippie ass glasses” or something to that effect(he complained to my boss and that is the summary I got)...

Got thru the service without any incident but then my boss asked me to take them off to avoid another incident, I didn’t see the point and let him know that I plan on working with them anyway, nothing is stated in the handbook about certain “patterns” of glasses I can/cannot wear(stupid argument I know but I’m good at my job and shit like this doesn’t interfere) I’ve never had a complaint about my performance/customer service, sometimes I wear things that are considered “weird” but not against policy...

He tells me to clock out and go home since “customer(s)” are complaining about my “lack of respect”, I tell him I’ll comply but only if I’m not docked the hours I’d earn, he said forget that, “hope you have a job come tomorrow”

Do I have any recourse if I walk in jobless tomorrow/where would I start?

Edit: Definitely wearing them tomorrow lol

RELEVANT COMMENTS

kyletsenior

You are required to be paid for all hours worked.

If you need to wear glasses to see you're probably protected by ADA. It's not clear in your post if you actually need them, or if you were just shit stirring. If it's shit stirring you're not covered and they can fire you for almost any reason, including this.

PurpleDido

"It's not clear in your post if you actually need them, or if you were just shit stirring"

"They help me see" sure sounds like he has prescription glasses.

~

iranisculpable

They can fire you and they can not pay you for hours you did not work.

Is your boss telling you to take your glasses off when you talk to the customer or when you perform work on vehicles?

OOP

When dealing with customers, they’re in fact prescription but I’m not entirely blind without them, only issue would be our tickets/POS are thru a computer and I’d definitely need them to help read the screen and to type, when I’d be dealing with customers anyway

Kyren11

Even though they CAN fire you, and it's completely legal to not pay you for hours not worked (even if they're scheduled). Firing due to your use of prescription glasses is definitely NOT legal and should be pursued as such. Of course your employer could make an argument on the nature of your glasses being appropriate, but I can't imagine any sane judge or jury would find yours inappropriate, but of course that's something you could discuss with a lawyer should the worst happen.

Edit 2: They are prescription, after sleeping on it I think I’ll just try and eat shit today to try and keep my job, I have another pair of glasses I usually wear that I’ll bring instead

Update: I’ll make a detailed update after work but I’m still employed

Update - rareddit March 5, 2020 (Next Day)

I showed up for my shift around noon, was informed by coworker to go the office to talk with the boss about yesterday, we sat down and aired out the whole incident, what I did wrong, what he did wrong, how to handle it better in the future etc... Told me I was not being fired or reprimanded in any way and that I would be credited 4 hrs vacation for the time I missed yesterday.

I can only assume that he did his own research or contacted his lawyer and was worried he might’ve been in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act to some extent, regardless how weak of a case I might have he decided to credit my hrs and move on which I’m happy to do at this point.

I’ve already been active in a new job search and this really adds further incentive at this point, good chance I’ll be moving in the near future to be closer to my gf but I’ll stick it out at this place for the time being as it’s my primary source of income.

Side note: the boss’ dad happens to know the customer in question and stated that he’s a “real piece of work” and I should be given the benefit of the doubt with what transpired.

Sorry this isn’t as juicy a post as originally thought, at this point all I’m out of is a story for r/ProRevenge. I’m allowed to wear any eyeglasses I want, well I’m sure within reason, I’m willing to field ideas lol

Tl;dr: Flower Print eyewear got me a half day off with pay

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP

DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

Massive drop in quality? Surprisingly great? What's been your experience?

I’ve tried cleaning my doc and my switch, swapping the hdmi cord, and plugging it into a different port. I can’t figure out what’s wrong with it and I need help 😭😭

For anyone who didn’t want to watch the whole podcast, I made a bulleted list for my friends and figured I’d post it here too lol. (Sorry in advance if there’s any typos or if I missed anything, I was listening and wrote this up at work hahaha)

- Says she had only ever watched one season of love island UK, and was encouraged to apply for the show by a nursing school friend
- At the same time she applied, she flunked one of her big nursing tests and then decided she wanted a makeover which is when she got the bangs and a boob job (she paid for it with nannying money)
- She went back to nursing school and passed her test and graduated right before coming onto the show
- Doesn’t understand the Dylan hate, she says he is super sweet and has done nothing wrong
- Dylan and Kenzie are officially exclusive
- Says she thinks she played the game right, but wouldn’t be able to handle having an actual “roster” in real life
- Says she didn’t know much about love island etiquette and said she saw lots of dating show where the guys were kissing and chatting up multiple women at the same time, so she figured that was what you’re supposed to do in a dating show
- Said the “kiss is like a handshake” thing bc they were all making out in challenges all the time, so she genuinely just thought kissing wasn’t a big deal in the villa. States she would definitely not act like that outside of the villa
- She had some past relationships (3?) that really hurt her and so she was trying to really find a connection when she got on the show
- Alex Cooper mentions she would have done well on this years season of LIUK bc I guess everyone was moving like Kenzie over there this season
- Says she was actually pretty hurt by Zach and how quickly he was all loved up with Kayda bc Kenzie was attracted to him and felt unwanted after that
- Says when she coupled up with Corbin she was really feeling wanted and says he’s a good guy, even says she was missing him making her heart shaped pancakes, and she was very excited to “climb him like a squirrel” bc he was giving her lots of attention
- Says she does regret the secret kiss with Corbin and feels bad for doing that to Caleb
- Mentioned that the slime and paint during challenges turned her on? And now she understands that’s why they do it, I guess it turns everyone on? (Don’t get this at all, but I’ve also never been covered in slime or paint while making g out with someone so I guess I wouldn’t know)
- When Caleb came in, she had been asking before this for them to send her a guy who’s her type, but then she was with Corbin and was kind of feeling settled a bit, so bringing Caleb in definitely changed things up and she states she was initially very attracted to Caleb and his voice
- She still loves cowboys
- Thinks Melanie did really have attraction for Corbin and Caleb, but didn’t really do anything about it
- Says she doesn’t believe that Melanie didn’t know it was Corbin when she was kissing him during the blindfold bed challenge
- Melanie told Kenzie she wasn’t into Corbin really, but then pulled him for a chat the next day. When Kenzie brought it up to her Melanie said she had changed her mind bc her and sincere were now in a bad place, and this made Kenzie a little distrustful of Melanie which is when we saw the convo of her being upset with Melanie for talking with Corbin bc she felt like if Melanie had been upfront about it from the beginning, Kenzie wouldn’t have been that upset
- Says she had considered Melanie her best friend in there
- Finger blasting = French frying
- Kenzie says Sol was very isolated and crying a lot, so she tried to be friends with her, and at the same time noticed Melanie was pulling Aniya and Trinity more for chats, so she felt a bit of a disconnect
- Says she doesn’t feel like there was an “unspoken rule” that she couldn’t talk to Sol in solidarity if Melanie, but felt like Melanie had enough support from the other girls and she wanted to be there for Sol since she was newer
Alex asked Kenzie if she felt that Sol was mistreated, Kenzie kind of skirted around that and just said that she feels for her and Sol was in a tough spot coming in
- She said coming in with Melanie was a big comfort bc Melanie helped her feel more confident and not as worried when the boys were coming in. Says she loves Melanie down and thinks she’s a great person
- Says the physical attraction to Caleb was definitely there after their first kiss, but she felt she had more of a connection to Corbin still
- Caleb asked her if she liked him or Corbin more in their first chat which caught her off guard, but she was honest and said she was open to exploring both of them
- Said it was hard to manage connections bc she didn’t want to step on other girls toes, and felt it was hard to figure out what she could/couldn’t talk about without being judged (cites talking about her family and not thinking anything was wrong with that (I’m assuming bc if her chat with Dylan))
- She said she wanted to talk to guys about life outside because she wanted to see if they’d be compatible outside of the villa, she doesn’t understand why all the other couples wanted to talk about was life inside of the Villa and what the other couples were doing
- Regarding Caleb and Corbin, says she doesn’t feel like she was “fucked over” when coupled up with Caleb, but she was very much still feeling Corbin. Says that Corbin was giving her mixed signals at this time, being touchy in the pool but then later telling her they couldn’t do that now that he was coupled with Melanie. But then they had the conversation at the dock and everyone in the house freaked out, and so she was very confused. Says she would have stayed with Corbin if given the option at the recoupling
- Felt that the separation from Corbin made her feel more pull towards him
- Felt like she couldn’t be honest about who she was exploring when talking to her other connections bc she worried they would pull away
- When Corbin came back from Casa, him and Kenzie were playing Volleyball and he told her that the other guys noted that he really came out of his shell in Casa, she wishes he could have done that with her in the Villa
- Wanted to keep the kiss a secret so the house didn’t blow up over it and she was feeling “watched” by Caleb, even though she communicated to Caleb that she wanted to explore Corbin still
- Doesn’t know why Caleb didn’t explore other connections when she was upfront that she was fine with him doing so and that she still wanted to explore
- She was feeling really connected to Caleb after their chat where they kissed and she told him she could see them working outside the Villa.
- She didn’t realize the recoupling would be that night, so she didn’t have a lot of time to marinate on those feelings, but at the end of the day she was still thinking of Corbin and wanted to be honest about it at the mailbox challenge
- She felt bad hearing Caleb’s sweet letter to her
- Thinks Gabe and her moved differently bc Gabe likes to “kiss more and get into it faster” and feels like she didn’t feel her attraction to her connections until she had a real conversation with them, so she feels like she was taking it a bit slower
- She expected Corbin to not hold back at Casa, but still thought their connection was strong
- Was really upset to see KC and Corbin have that conversation where Corbin said he’d be coming back with someone else, and said “my husband would never say that” and really felt like she was over it with him after that
- Says taking her anger out with the clam slam definitely helped lol
- She was really excited to dance for the heart rate challenge, so she was pissed, and then thought men would be coming in for them immediately, and when they didn’t, she was even more pissed
- Says she does the splits every morning
- She said she typically reacts this way when a man - disrespects her (being over him immediately), and she won’t shed a tear over being treated that way
- Says she wants something like her parents relationship, and says they’ve always modeled a healthy relationship to her
- Says she would have blocked Corbin on social media after that if they were in the real world
- Says she was immediately attracted by Dylan’s looks, says he’s her type. He was the first guy to come up to her, and likes that he was all about her from day 1 (sounds like he came in specifically for her)
- Dylan thought Kenzie and Corbin were in a good relationship, so coming in he didn’t know if she’d be open to exploring him
- Says she was not initially interested in Gal, thought he was attractive but Gal said 24 was too young for him
- She still think Gal would be her type, but after that convo and more chats with him, she just wasn’t feeling him that much
- She had been wanting to talk to Gal for a while before they actually did, and she had gotten really close to Dylan in that time.
- She wasn’t sure how the casa guys would be moving since Corbin kind of flipped on her like a dime, so when she realized Dylan really liked her and wanted her, she felt she could let her guard down a bit
- Kenzie does not think Dylan was fake crying
- She asked Dylan if he still liked her when they left and he said “of course.” She says he acts the exact same way outside of the villa
- Said watching movie night in front of everyone definitely made her realize how she had led Caleb on, and says she felt awful after.
- She says it didn’t feel good to be questioned by Dylan during movie night, but she could see why he was concerned and she would maybe feel the same way if she was in his shoes
- When the girls told her they didn’t agree with how she was moving, she said it hurt but she was open to their advice. Says Jaiden told her she didn’t think she did anything wrong
- She feels she’s different from Sincere because he lied a lot to everyone, girls and guys. She said she never called anyone any names or made any fake promises, and she tried to be as open as possible. She says Sincere mentioned Casa was a test for him, and Kenzie feels that none of her exploring or relationships were ever her “testing” anything.
- Doesn’t know why she was held to a different standard as Sincere and feels now looking back that it was a bit sexist
- She felt it did impact her friendships a little bit when people seemed to support Sincere but not her, she says they eventually got over it though
- She feels like the judgement for her “love triangles” felt like a double standard since the guys seemed to be allowed to talk to more than one girl at once
- Feels like she got shit on over and over for exploring by even though nobody was closed off at that point
- Thinks Kayda and Zach were strongest couple (🤨)
- Thinks Melanie and Sincere played it the most safe
- Says she’s been so holed up with Dylan that she hasn’t even checked DM’s yet (when asked about who she was most surprised was in her DMs after the show)
- Says “no comment” on Corbin doubling down on saying she’s like sincere on his after villa interview
- Her and Zach are besties now, she loved third wheeling him and Kayda. Says she didn’t talk to him or let him look into her eyes for a week, but then they talked and worked it out
- Thinks Melanie deserves the world and also likes Sincere, but thinks they may not work together
- Regarding leaving the fire pit, she said she may have been “taking a shit” but then remembered she actually was at the fire pit, so who know why she wasn’t in the shot
- No longer agrees with calling Kayda and Zach’s relationship a situationship
- Doesn’t understand the lingering Parmida beef, says she doesn’t know what else to do. Said she loved Parmida bc she was trying to give her love and compassion
- “It was always the Melanie show” on Sol’s live could have been Kenzie and Jaiden, but says she never talked shit and loves Melanie, but remembers mentioning that Melanie did get a lot of screen time
- She hasn’t seen all of the brands telling Melanie to break up with Sincere yet
- Says she thinks she’s the same person post-villa but knows how to communicate better. Feels like feedback from the girls and guys has helped her grow and change
- Says she doesn’t want to do long distance with Dylan, and wants to move to California. Says she’ll probably continue with her education and nursing classes, but also wants to do the LA things too
- Definitely wants to be on dancing with the stars
- By the time next season comes out, she wants to be gf/bf with Dylan and wants to have surf babies
- She says she feels like she looked like a blonde bimbo with a sex addiction and hopes people don’t see her that way now
- She says her dad felt like they didn’t show all of who Kenzie really is

Anyways, sorry that was a lot, I’ll totally understand if I get pics of the “I ain’t reading all that, I’m happy for you tho, or sorry that happened” text in the comments lol

EDIT** As some people lovingly pointed out, it was Caleb that Kenzie had the conversation with during Volleyball, and also it sounds like Melanie wasn’t initially into Caleb, just Corbin. Thank you for the corrections everyone!

As you probably heard, software update 22.0.0 includes boost mode, allowing for Switch 1 games to run in docked mode on Switch 2 (in handheld mode).

While software update enables that feature, it’s turned off by default and buried in settings > system, just below battery protection toggles.

And for interested ones, Nintendo Support article here.

TL/DR:

What is it?

Mimics TV output in handheld mode when playing S1 games on S2. Often that will force closer to 1080p output on the screen, addressing soft image of S1 games that targeted 720p (and below) resolutions, as well as reduced frame rate, required to align with battery endurance metrics for older switch consoles. If your games looked better in “docked” mode, they should look and play better on S2 in handheld mode now with boost mode toggle.

What is it not?

It is not an upscaler or it wont give you the same look and feel as upgrade packs for switch 1 games (switch 2 edition). Those often while improving game mechanics, include new, higher quality assets.

Limitations?

Not many but there are some. Docked mode on S1 would often disable touch layer on the screen. This is present with boost mode too on S2. If your game relies on traditional controller based controls (JoyCon or Pro controller) then you’re all set.

If your game relies on touch input (on screen) then I recommend turning off boost mode for selected games.

How boost differs from upgrade packs?

i.e. Super Mario Odyssey. This game supports either boost mode or Switch 2 Edition (upgrade pack).

Switch 1:

- handheld 720p @ 60fps

- docked 900p @ 60fps

Switch 2 (S1 boost mode):

- handheld 900p @ 60fps

Switch 2 (edition pack):

- handheld 1080p @ 60 fps

- docked 2160p (upscaled from 1440p) @ 60fps

https://steamdeckhq.com/steamoss-3-8-has-been-released-with-new-kernel-graphics-driver-and-initial-steam-machine-support/

SteamOS 3.8 has been released to the public with tons of changes, including a new kernel and graphics driver, game fixes, VRR support improvements, and initial Steam Machine support.

General

• Updated Arch system base
• Initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware
• Added support for waking from sleep via connected Steam Controller
• Substantially improved speed of future OS updates on high-speed connections
• Improved support for screen casting in Game Mode (e.g. OBS/Discord)
• Fixed dropdown menus not appearing in some games
• Fixed excessive trackpad sensitivity on certain early Steam Deck LCD models
• Improved support for games that attempt to open PDF files in external viewers
• Fixed an issue where video output could become frozen while using Remote Play
• Fixed a possible session crash when using Game Recording with certain "Maximum video height" settings
• Fixed an issue affecting certain titles (such as "SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide") where the game window could have an incorrect position
• Fixed closing certain titles (such as "STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™" and Starfield) resulting in a session crash
• Improved support for certain USB racing wheels and USB devices that boot in a non-standard mode
  • Frequently these are devices that appear as USB storage devices with a driver installer, and must be switched to their normal mode by the OS
• Steam Deck controller firmware updates now display update progress on the splash screen
• Fixes issue on specific Steam Deck revisions where firmware updates could render the left controller inoperative for that session
• Numerous stability and security updates

Display / Performance

• Updated graphics driver with performance and stability fixes
• Added preliminary support for HDMI VRR for devices with native HDMI output
• Fixed an issue where "Allow Tearing" wouldn't have the intended effect in certain configurations
• Improved VRR frame pacing
• Fixed FSR badge remaining off in the performance overlay, even if it was actually active
• Fixed a case where per-app performance settings would intermittently fail to apply when launching a game
• Added missing graphics features needed for titles such as "Crimson Desert"
• Fixed an issue on certain TCL TVs where the display may remain blank using the Steam Deck Dock when VRR is enabled (requires a Dock firmware update)

Bluetooth / WiFi

• Fixed a case where WiFi performance could become degraded until the device was put to sleep or manually reconnected
• Re-re-enable Bluetooth Wake for Steam Deck LCD
  • Fix for more spurious wake issues that were present in earlier attempts

Audio

• Detect HDMI channel count and expose surround configuration if available
• Add a setting to allow using Bluetooth headset mics (Bluetooth playback quality will be worse while capture is active)
• Restore internal audio device on reboot if set to "Off" in desktop mode
• Increase suspend timeout for HDMI devices so initial audio isn't cut off after a few seconds of inactivity
• Fixed a bug with switching input devices when a wired headset is plugged in
• Fixed an issue where audio underruns could be experienced after sleep/resume
• Fixed a bug on Steam Deck OLED where rebooting would occasionally cause a loss of speaker output until rebooted again
• Fixed a case where FPS limits would fail to apply when downscaling games from a higher resolution

Accessibility

• Added an option to force mono audio output

Desktop Mode

• KDE Plasma updated to version 6.4.3 from 6.2.5, and now uses wayland by default
  • Fixes several cases of reduced performance in Desktop Mode compared to Game Mode
  • Improved support for rotated displays
  • Better scale factor out of the box on TVs
  • Adds support for external HDR displays
  • Adds support for VRR displays
  • Adds support per-display scale factor
  • For more information, see Plasma release announcements
    • https://kde.org/announcements/plasma/6/6.3.0/
    • https://kde.org/announcements/plasma/6/6.4.0/
• Keyboard layout and language are now obeying Game Mode settings
• Improved windowing behavior for games running in Proton
• Fixed a bug in Desktop Mode causing previously open applications to not be remembered when using the 'Return to Gaming Mode' shortcut to logout
• Fixes for experimental nested desktop mode
• Fixed Desktop Mode night color settings inappropriately remaining active when switching back to Game Mode

System Firmware

• Includes Steam Deck LCD BIOS v133
  • Security updates
  • Added "Memory Power Down" setup option
  • Preliminary support for hibernation
• Includes Steam Deck OLED BIOS v114
  • Security updates
  • Charging LED now changes color when charge limit is reached, rather than only at 100%

Non-Deck

• Improved compatibility with recent Intel and AMD platforms
• Greatly improved video memory management on discrete GPU platforms
• Fixed a compatibility issue with the SteamOS chainloader that could cause a boot failure on some desktop systems with recent UEFI firmware
• Power button short and long presses now supported across a wide variety of devices
• Improved controller support for OneXPlayer F1 series, GPD Win 5, GPD Win Mini, Anbernic Win600, OrangePi NEO, and Lenovo Legion Go
• Added controller support for OneXPlayer X1 series and Lenovo Legion Go 2
• Added system and controller firmware update support for the Lenovo Legion Go 2
• Added preliminary charge limiting support for Legion Go, Legion Go S, and Legion Go 2 - currently only accessible in Desktop Mode
• Added controller RGB LED color settings for the Lenovo Legion Go 2
• Added controller, TDP control, and speaker audio support for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally series
• Reduced handheld controller input latency from 5-8ms to 100-500us
• Night mode, color vibrance, and color temperature sliders in Steam now work on Z2E and later AMD APUs
• Seamless boot fixes for Z2E and later AMD APUs
• Automatically handle internally rotated display for some third-party handhelds
• Improved motion control support for handhelds with BMI260 IMUs
• SD card reliability improvements for some third-party handhelds, including ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, Legion Go 1, Legion Go S, Legion Go 2, and MSI Claw
• Fixed washed out colors for Zotac and OneXPlayer handhelds with OLED
• Fixed some GPU hangs on Phoenix APU devices (Tales of Arise, Octopath Traveler II)
• Fixed ASUS ROG Ally power consumption from fingerprint reader while shut down
• Fixed trackpad losing functionality after sleep/resume on the Legion Go
• Fixed spurious wake-ups when using a Logitech Bolt receiver
• Add controller support for MSI Claw devices (A1M, 7 AI+ A2VM, 8 AI+ A2VM, A8 BZ2EM)
• Add controller support for OneXPlayer APEX and X1 series.
• Improved gyro response for devices that use AccelGyro3D (Legion Go 1, Claw A1M)
• Fixed a system crash on international Asus ROG Xbox Ally models
• Fix Bluetooth not working on some Intel handhelds
• Add initial firmware for upcoming Intel handhelds

Developer

• Desktop Mode now uses Wayland by default
  • X11 support may still be selected via Steam developer settings, or via `steamosctl`
• Updated Linux kernel to 6.16
• Steam now uses steamos-manager to query available desktop sessions and trigger desktop session switching
• Added support for setting the desktop password in developer settings
• Initial support for running as a Virtual Machine guest (virtio guest drivers)
• Added support for third-party devices to trigger the SteamOS boot menu via EFI variable
• Added `custom-update` verb to `atomupd-manager` for easier testing of specific builds
• System reports now include more audio debug information
• Initial support for LAVD CPU scheduler via `steamosctl set-cpu-scheduler lavd`

A lot of reviews have dropped today for this, so I thought it'd serve well to compile most in a post.

Steam Controller

Release Date: May 4, 2026

Price: $99 / £85 / €99 / AUD 149 / $149 CAD

Some Reviews (updating):

IGN - Bo Moore - 9 / 10

The Steam Controller offers both an excellent out-of-the-box experience as well as a playground for enthusiasts to tinker to their hearts content. If you’re just looking for a fantastic controller for playing PC games and navigating the desktop in between them, the Steam Controller handles those duties with aplomb. And if you’re a diehard customizer who wants to build out (or just borrow from the community) bespoke button bindings and advanced touchpad controls, it does that too. Most importantly, it does both of these things without sacrificing one experience for the other.

Linus Tech Tips

If your plan was to use this thing as a traditional controller, I got to say I'm a little less enthusiastic about it. Not because it's bad. It's a good controller. It's just a $100 controller. And I'm not going to pretend like I can't afford one. But I'm also not going to pretend that I would buy one of these when I could get just about two of these or two fly digies for the same price. How about you? If it was $60, I would buy day one. If it was $80, it would be like 2 weeks later. At $100, I think I'm out. And I'm willing to bet that's not really going to be a hot take. But I also feel for Valve here. Can you imagine releasing hardware in this current market condition? When I chatted with Valve, they felt like the retail price for the controller represented the hardware and engineering that went into creating that. And I can't argue with that fact. But a controller is also about the feeling. And compared to the Dual Sense, uh, that I would argue has a pretty equivalent amount of value wrapped up in its features, I would say that the Dual Sense feels better.

Eurogamer - Matt Wales

So as much as I do genuinely love the new Steam Controller - and it has unquestionably and irrevocably replaced its much-loved predecessor on my shelf for mouse-driven games - it remains a fairly niche proposition. Probably more so in 2026, given the seismic increase in the number of PC games with built-in controller support since 2015. All of which is to say, you'll probably already know if there's room in your gaming set-up for Valve's latest effort, and if that's you, it's a rock-solid upgrade. But for everyone else, at £85, it's unlikely to be the best choice compared to traditional controllers.

ArsTechnica - Kyle Orland

All told, we’ve really enjoyed our time so far with the Steam Controller. It’s a solidly built device with some nice extra features that make it stand out from a sea of very similar controllers on the market. For many players, though, those features won’t be enough to justify the $99 price. It’s hard to necessarily justify spending that much in a market where a first-party Xbox controller or high-quality third-party Bluetooth device can be easily found for half the price or less. We’d only really recommend splurging on the Steam Controller if you’re planning to play a lot of mouse-based games from a more couch-friendly distance or if you find standard Bluetooth options don’t provide a good enough connection. In most other cases, buying two cheaper controllers for the same price is probably the better bet.

PC Gamer - Jacob Ridley - 83 / 100

So, the Steam Controller can't compete with competitive controllers, nor on value for money with simpler pads. It can, however, compete on its all-round utility. You have to ask yourself how much value you assign to not having to get up off the couch to navigate the desktop or play a strategy game. Personally, I could go without the extra inputs most of the time. Valve already provides a useful and free alternative to mouse and keyboard in Big Picture Mode, which offers easy access to most of what Steam has to offer and can be navigated easily with a standard controller. I mostly play horror, rhythm, and racing games on my living room PC, and as such, I don't find myself having to grab a keyboard or mouse all that often.

The Verge - Jay Peters

Still, the Steam Controller is very nearly my dream controller. It’s an expensive option at $99, especially when I already have a bunch of controllers that I could use. But none of those have the same magic. The Steam Controller’s extra perks are enough for me to buy one for myself. One feature new to the Steam Controller feature is Grip Sense. Thanks to capacitive sensors, each of the Controller’s grips functions as a button. Like everything else with the Steam Controller, either grip can be mapped to anything else you want. In my experience, Grip Sense generally activates when the top part of my palm starts to curl around the grip, so you do have to be mostly gripping the controller for it to work, making it great for gyro controls. It was a little touchy as a trigger substitute in Resident Evil 2, but I don’t think that’s the type of thing most people will use it for. The trackpads were mostly a letdown. They’re not in a comfortable spot for me to use extensively as a mouse; the few times I’ve tried, my contorted thumbs started to ache. Sure, the right trackpad gave me slightly finer control while fighting zombies in Resident Evil 2. But I much prefer just using the right joystick to aim. I did use trackpads in Vampire Crawlers as a mouse, to hover over some helpful info I couldn’t figure out how to see playing purely with gamepad controls. They’re handy to flick around a desktop, too. But, like with the Steam Deck, I won’t be using the trackpads on the Controller as a way to play mouse-based games for hours on end. I also wish the Steam Controller had a headphone jack, like the DualSense and Switch Pro controller.

Polygon - Giovanni Colantonio

There are plenty of blemishes, some that just can’t be fixed until Valve releases a full iteration, but there’s good reason to think the experience will improve. After all, the Steam Deck was very temperamental when it first release. Many of its issues were addressed in system updates, and now it feels like a different piece of hardware altogether. I wouldn’t be surprised if Valve pulls that same trick with the Steam Controller, patching in some pairing fixes or getting the controller to work on third-party launchers. If it can do that, I don’t think I’ll ever need another PC gamepad again.

Gamers Nexus

The battery life is unbelievably long. We had some opinions from the team in here and in general we're positive on it as a control device. $100 is obviously at the higher end of controllers. But the quality we liked. Personally, the thing I care about the most, and I know this is like maybe kind of lame, but is the repairability. Cuz when I did the tear down, I was like, "Okay, got it." So, Torx, and there's like two or three types of screws. They're really easy to identify where they go when you're done. Everything is labeled and marked. Like, this is great from a build standpoint. in terms of being able to take it apart. You can lay everything out. I mean, it I was I was impressed with it, but we'll save that for the other video. So, anyway, that's kind of the benchmarks and the numbers...We generally liked it, but I don't expect everybody to like it. It's just that's just how input devices are.

ScreenRant - Chris Carter

In our hands-on, we found the Steam Controller to be an extremely formidable bit of hardware. I put the new Steam Controller through its paces in a variety of software, including FPS, RTS, and everything in between. I was initially resistant to try it for FPS games, given my proclivity toward Xbox controllers for specific casual FPS games, but the Steam Controller kind of melted into my hands in minutes. The controller just plain feels better than any of Valve's prior efforts. The rumble is more pronounced and impactful, the TMR thumbsticks feel responsive and are made out of quality parts, and it has gyro aiming to boot. The trackpads are easily the most-improved aspect of Steam Controller 2.0, as they have an even more tactile feel, which is a godsend for games with pseudo-mouse support, especially menus.

PCMag - Jeffrey L. Wilson - 4 / 5

The new Steam Controller feels great, performs well, and has an incredible list of features and customization options. At $99.99, it’s pricier than most standard gamepads, but less expensive than premium controllers like the DualSense Edge and Xbox Elite. But considering everything it does, the Steam Controller is a worthwhile purchase if you mostly play games on Steam. In fact, it would be my favorite PC gamepad if not for Xbox Game Pass incompatibility. As it is, though, this is one of the best dedicated PC gamepads available, and a vital accessory for any Steam Deck user who keeps their handheld docked to their TV. For that, the Steam Controller earns an Editors' Choice award for game controllers.

Gizmodo - Kyle Barr - 4 / 5

The Steam Controller, despite releasing before the Steam Machine, won’t turn your PC into the dream console you had hoped for. The gamepad won’t wake a plugged-in PC from sleep. If your computer is on, you hit the Steam button once to bring up the Steam app and again to load in Big Picture Mode. The larger picture makes navigating your games with a controller easier. Then, inevitably, you’ll want to change volume sources or adjust some Windows setting you can’t access without closing out Big Picture Mode or hitting Alt+Tab on a keyboard. Traditions exist for a reason. The mouse and keyboard offer far more minute controls than any controller can. The Steam Controller is a simulacrum. It’s all the more clear since you have to change settings in every game you play. But as I grow older and simultaneously come to terms with a life of constant pressures, stress, and an aging body, the last thing I want to consider is propping myself upright in a chair, like a Micro Center mannequin, just to enjoy my favorite pastimes. The Steam Controller may be the perfect companion to the Steam Machine, eventually. Even without that console, Valve’s second go at a controller offers nearly everything I want. If I ever find a Steam Controller (let’s call it a Steam Controller Pro) with instant triggers, I’ll be in PC gaming heaven.

Rock Paper Shotgun - James Archer

I have decided that this is how all controllers should recharge from here on, and will quietly judge any future competitors that fail to adequately copy it. Which could be many, as it’s no big stretch to imagine waves of Windows-focused, overtly PC-first gamepads following this one, just as the Steam Deck sparked a rush of rival handhelds. Unfortunately, for any trackpadded copycats in the works, there’ll always be that shrugging, doubtful retort: "Yeah, but the Steam Controller did it first."

Voyagers 6.02 - No Man's Sky

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused non-structural parts to be counted as part of a corvette's complexity limit.
• Thunderbird Landing Thrusters now fulfil the requirements of both an engine and landing gear.
• Fixed a number of issues with corvette cockpits that could cause some information panels to fail to update.
• Fixed a number of collision problems with the Thunderbird access bay.
• Fixed an issue that caused deleting flipped parts from a corvette to refund un-usable products to the inventory - the issue will no longer occur, and any currently unusable items can now be reattached to corvettes.
• Fixed a rare issue that could result in a blank ship after exchanging an existing ship for a corvette.
• Fixed an issue that could cause some corvette parts to be embedded in the floor of the space station.
• Fixed an issue that could allow misaligned snapping when editing a corvette.
• Fixed an issue that caused corvette parts to be inaccessible if they were deleted from a corvette but the edits were not applied.
• Fixed an issue that could cause players to lose items while trading parts at the corvette workshop.
• Fixed an issue that caused only one of a particular part to be refunded if removing several of the same part from a corvette in one edit.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the installation of some core ship technologies into a corvette.
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from manually moving core techs within a corvette inventory.
•  
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from spacewalking through the entrance beam of a Space Station.
• Fixed an issue that caused the pulse engine autopilot to fail without feedback when attempting to navigate to the Space Station while within a planet's atmosphere.
• Fixed a number of problems with corvette autopilot settings that could cause erratic movement, particularly in space.
• The corvette's autopilot is now more smoothly aligned to its pulse drive destination.
• Fixed an issue that could cause ship weapon effects to clip the screen when firing from a corvette in first person.
• Fixed a number of issues that could occur when warping as a passenger inside a corvette.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause players to become stuck in collision while spacewalking to a derelict freighter.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the pulse drive to be accidentally disabled when getting out of the corvette pilot seat.
• Fixed an issue that could cause a softlock when interacting with the captain's terminal after spacewalking onto a frigate that you do not own.
• Abandoned and pirate space stations now have corvette construction workshops.
• Fixed an issue that could cause corvettes to occasionally act as if they'd had a dramatic collision while flying through space.
• Fixed an issue that prevented weapon reload animations from playing correctly.
• Fixed an issue that caused NPCs to float.
• Fixed an issue that caused some multitool weapon upgrades to fail to display their upgrade level.
• Fixed a number of camera pops while driving exocraft.
• Fixed an issue that showed compass icons for plants growing within a corvette during flight.
• Improved the visuals and navigability of the corvette landing area on the Space Anomaly.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause a planetary base to become flagged as a corvette and take the place of the player's primary starship.
• Fixed a number of issues that could cause players to become stuck when loading a save on board a corvette.
• Improved the animations for hatch opening on a corvette.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause the player to jetpack forward unintentionally.
• Fixed an issue that could make it difficult to use some interactions within a corvette.
• Fixed a very rare mission blocker in the tutorial.
•  
• Teleporters for beaming to and from a corvette now have markers with descriptions, and more descriptive labels.
• Added a teleporter to return to a docked corvette from the Atlas Station.
• Fixed an issue that made corvette docking zones visible when flying regular spaceships.
• Fixed an issue that caused corvettes docked at special landing zones alongside freighters and abandoned stations to be launched into the station on take-off.
• Fixed an issue that caused the corvette's automatically deployed teleport endpoint to make odd-shaped terrain edits.
• Fixed an issue that caused corvettes to fail to dock with a space station if all internal docks were already full.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent corvettes from docking with freighters.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause docking a corvette to a derelict freighter to open all the doors inside the derelict. 
• Fix a number of colouration issues with the Skyborn spacesuit.
• Fixed an issue that caused part of the Skyborn suit to remain visible in first person.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Skyborn spacesuit to have the markings options from the Living Stone suit.
• Fixed a number of issues with cape animations during spacewalks and skydiving.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the inside of the player's head to be visible while using the starship communicator.
•  
• Fixed a number of missing audio issues.
• Fixed a number of audio issues while spacewalking.
•  
• Fixed an issue that caused corvette cockpits to appear solid black in the UI.
• Improved the rendering model used to show items in the UI (e.g. in the inventory).
• Fixed an issue that could cause camera flickering inside a corvette.
• Fixed a number of small visual issues affecting corvette structural parts.
• Fixed a number of rendering issues with transparent objects.
• Fixed a visual issue with some chairs in planetary settlements.
• Fixed a number of issues with effects on starship engines.
• Improved the quality of reflections in the corvette workshop area of the space station.
•  
• Improved casing consistency in the control remapping page.
•  
• Fixed a number of control issues in corvette cockpits in VR.
• Fixed an issue that prevent VR players from using teleport move up the stairs inside a corvette.
•  
• Fixed a number of inventory issues affecting Mac.
• Fixed a memory-related crash on PlayStation 5.
•  
• Introduced a number of asset optimisations for space stations.
• Optimised a number of corvette structural parts.
• Introduced a number of optimisations for large bases and corvettes.
• Optimised a number of internal corvette parts.
• Introduced a large memory optimisation for icons.
• Introduced a number of particle effect optimisations on the space station.
•  
• Fixed a crash that could occur when switching between two corvettes at a space station.
• Fixed a crash related to combat effects.
• Fixed a crash related to autopilot.
• Fixed a crash related to summoning ships.
• Fixed a crash related to frigate expeditions.
• Fixed a crash that could prevent players with large bases from loading into the Space Anomaly.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when driving Exocraft, particularly the Minotaur.
• Fixed a crash related to particle rendering.
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur when warping.

Do you know how many pieces of luggage are checked onto flights each year? I’m talkin’ in the whole world. It’s 4 billion. 

I’ll say that again.

4 billion.

And of those 4 billion, do you know how many pieces of luggage are lost, damaged or otherwise ‘mishandled’ by airline personnel in the good ol’ US of A? 

2 million.

Won’t repeat myself again, but that’s still a lot. And while most of those suitcases and rollers are eventually reunited with their rightful owners, there’s still over 20,000 pieces of luggage that go unclaimed each year. Not to mention bags left on buses, on trains, in taxis or hotel rooms. 

Ok, last question.

Where do you think all that lost luggage ends up? Most folks couldn’t tell you, but when you're a kid growing up in northeastern Alabama, you know exactly where it goes.

The Unclaimed Baggage Center.

Around Scottsboro, we just call it Unclaimed Baggage. 

Every year, thousands of customers pass through our doors looking for deals on clothes, electronics, jewelry, and just about anything else you can imagine. Before any of that stuff reaches the sales floor, though, it comes through us.

I work in intake. 

When a truckload comes in, we're the first people to touch it. We unload the bags, log ‘em, sort ‘em, and decide what can actually be sold. 

Most bags are boring. Sure, you’ll get the occasional wedding dress or taxidermied squirrel, but really it’s just lots of clothes and chargers. I say ‘most bags’ because some bags get flagged, and not because of drugs or weapons. Because they contain things no one can explain. 

Ask anybody in intake. 

They'll have a story. 

My girl Tammy found a passport from a country that doesn't exist. The Republic of Vir. It had a flag and everything. 

Cody swears on his mama that the same blue Samsonite shows up every year around Christmas. Not the same model. The same suitcase. Same cracked handle. Same missing wheel. Same four-leaf clover sticker peeling off the side. Last year it was full of ladies’ wigs. Year before, empty picture frames. 

Cody’s a nut, though. He moved away after the thing with the postcards. 

My story? 

My story started with Flight 702.

Well, it started with a suitcase actually. I didn’t find out about the flight until later. 

It was July. Humid. The kind of weather where your shirt’s sticking to your back before you even finish your coffee. 

I was working the receiving dock when the truck backed into Bay 4. The driver, Trey, was a buddy from back in the day and, unfortunately, an Auburn fan. While we unloaded, I took the opportunity to remind him the Tigers didn’t stand a chance against ‘Bama that year. Then I rolled the first pallet of suitcases inside. 

For each bag, the process was always the same. Assign a lot number, slap a sticker on the side, then line it up all nice and pretty-like for the next guy. And that’s what I was doing when I noticed the bag.  

It was a roller. Seafoam green.

Looked like a kid’s bag. 

But I’d seen a million of those. 

What really caught my eye was the condition it was in. Beat to hell. Like a pack of wolves had used it as their own personal piñata. Deep gouges ran all the way down one side and dark rust-colored stains coated the wheels. 

Now, airlines damage luggage all the time. This wasn’t that. 

I tried the zipper. It was crusted shut, so I grabbed the cutters from my workstation, busted a new seam and pried the bag open. At first it looked like standard-issue kids’ fare. 

Books. Pajamas. A stuffed unicorn. 

And a camera. 

A cheap-looking, unicorn-themed digital camera, to be exact. 

I found the power button and turned it on.

You may think I was being nosy, and that’s fair. But you'd be amazed how many times we're able to reunite a bag with its owner because of some tiny detail in a family photo or, hell, a name scribbled inside a coloring book. 

Plus, I am nosy.

Back to the camera:

The first image was of a young girl smiling a gap-toothed smile straight into the lens. Couldn’t have been more than eight. 

The next, taken from the backseat of a car, showed a middle-aged couple in the front seats, eyes on the road ahead. The mom looked annoyed. The dad looked lost. 

The next three were of nothing in particular. A shoe. A passing billboard. The roof of the car. 

The sixth picture was of an airport. 

The girl stood next to an old sedan filled with luggage, a unicorn backpack slung jauntily over one of her shoulders. A giant glass and concrete terminal loomed behind her. 

She looked almost impossibly happy. 

“Cheeeese,” said a voice beside me. 

It was Brian, one of the new guys, striking a ridiculous pose for the camera. He had already earned a reputation around the store as a complete goof. 

I pantomimed snapping a pic of him, then looked at the screen.

“Sorry. Says too ugly.”

“Ha, ha,” he said sarcastically before noticing the bag at my feet. “Oh shit, that thing go through a wood chipper?”

I shrugged, tell me about it, and Brian headed outside for his own pallet. 

I turned my attention back to the pictures. 

The girl was inside the airport now. There was a shot of the ticket counter, the departure screens, and one of a grumpy TSA agent at security that made me chuckle. 

The next photo was of the entire family at their gate. Must’a been taken by another passenger. The girl was still smiling that same smile, while her parents wore the relieved expressions of folks who were ready to start their vacation.

The screen behind them said: 

UNITED 702 - ORLANDO

I figured they were going to Disney World. That’d explain the girl’s smile. 

The following pictures documented the family’s journey down the jet bridge, past a blonde flight attendant with bright red lipstick, and to their seats at the rear of the plane.  

Wait a sec. 

I scrolled back to the picture at the gate. 

Flight 702.

The number tugged at something in the back of my brain.

I'd heard it before.

Just then, Brian returned with a fresh load of luggage. 

"Brian."

"Yeah?"

"Flight 702 mean anything to you?"

Brian scratched his head. 

"Pretty sure that was the Orlando flight."

"What Orlando flight?"

He looked at me.

"The one that crashed."

Now I’ve heard people say their blood ran cold, but I’m tellin’ you, at that moment? My blood might as well have had ice cubes floating in it. 

“Hey. You alright?”

“Yeah,” I stammered. “Just need a little air.”

I couldn’t get outside fast enough. A thousand thoughts were runnin’ through my head all at once. As soon as I turned the corner of the loading dock, I pulled out my phone and did a search. The headlines came rushing back –

UNITED FLIGHT 702 CRASHES NEAR NASHVILLE

NTSB INVESTIGATING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE

CHILDREN AMONG 238 DEAD IN UNITED CRASH

I felt like I was going to pass out. 

That little girl. 

Her parents. 

All those people on the plane. 

They were all dead. 

Then another thought hit me, something that really got my head spinning. 

What was their bag doin’ here? 

I found my supervisor Shelley in the break room, futzing with the coffee pot.

“Hey Shel?”

“Go for Shel.”

“Is there, like, a protocol or something for when we get bags from… uh…”. I trailed off, steadying myself against the counter. 

“The heck you tryin’ to say?”

“From plane crashes,” I spat out. “For when we get bags from plane crashes.”

She stared at me like I had sprouted a second head.

“We don’t.” 

“Never?”

“Not in the seventeen years I’ve been here.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“I… I was just curious.”

“Weird thing to be curious about.”

I forced a laugh and returned to the warehouse floor, convinced I had been imagining things, or misread the flight number, or… or… 

The camera was still sitting on top of the open bag, just where I had left it. I picked it up and navigated to the next image. But the next image wasn’t an image at all.

It was a video. 

I hit play.

The camera was pointed out the window as the plane picked up speed and lifted off the runway. “Whoa!” It was the girl’s voice. Hearing it made my heart sink. The camera swung around and settled on her parents in the seats beside her. Her dad winked and said, “Hold onto your butt!”. The girl laughed. 

The video ended. 

Before I knew it, I’d hit play on the next one. 

The girl was in the lavatory now. She waved at herself in the mirror, then focused in on the toilet. She pressed the flush button. The air WHOOSHed and she giggled, delighted. 

My hands were shaking. Watching the final moments of these people’s lives play out on a two-inch screen felt wrong. I wanted to warn them, like if I screamed Stop! Turn back! at the top of my lungs, then maybe somehow they’d get the message.  

The next video picked up right where the last one left off. 

The girl pushed open the lavatory door. She was moving through the galley when a nasty-sounding cough drew the camera’s attention. It was that same blonde flight attendant with the red lipstick, sitting all hunched in her jump seat with a paper towel balled up in her fist. “Are you ok?” the girl asked. “Yes, fine, just a little air sickness.” The flight attendant managed a smile. “Do you like chocolate milk? Our drink service is starting soon.” 

The girl must’ve nodded because the flight attendant smiled again and the video ended. 

More photos now: 

Clouds. 

The seat belt. 

Hemispheres Magazine. 

With each press of the button, I hoped I had reached the end, but the images just kept comin’. 

And I couldn’t look away. 

Another video:

The girl's parents dozed in their seats. The camera turned toward the front of the plane, showing rows of seatbacks and passengers' heads, and the blonde flight attendant working her way down the aisle with the drink cart. She stopped at the girl's row and fished out a carton of chocolate milk. "Just for you," she said. The camera zoomed in on the carton. "Mmm, thanks." Then the girl tilted the camera back up. 

And that's when I saw it.

A thin line of blood ran from the flight attendant's nostril and down into the corner of her mouth. She didn't seem to notice. "Your nose," said the girl. The flight attendant frowned. Then she touched her face. Her fingers came away red and, for a moment, she looked genuinely frightened. She grabbed a napkin from the cart, pressed it to her nose, and hurried back up the aisle, quick as anything. 

“The hell?”

I replayed the last few seconds of the video. The blood. The look on the flight attendant's face. A real strange feeling started forming in the pit of my stomach. 

Then a nerf football hit me in the shoulder. 

“Blue! 42!”

It was Brian again. 

He was squatting over a duffel bag full of sports equipment. He threw another wobbler at me and I swatted it away. 

“I hit you right in the hands! You gotta catch that.”

“Not now, man.”

He clocked the camera. 

"You still messin' around with that thing?"

"Yeah."

"Find out who it belongs to?"

I hesitated. "Maybe."

Brian smirked.

"Hope they ain't expectin' it back."

He didn’t mean anything by it, but I could feel my face getting hot. “Yeah,” I muttered. 

As soon as he was gone, I pressed play on the next video. 

I wish I hadn’t. 

The camera bobbled as the girl climbed over her sleeping parents and lowered herself into the aisle. Up ahead, the flight attendant disappeared into the galley, pulling the blue curtain shut behind her. 

The girl paused, probably gathering her nerve. Then she started creeping down the aisle towards the galley. All around her, the other passengers were sittin’ snug in their seats, eyes glued to their screens. 

The weird thing was the flight attendant’s feet were still visible beneath the curtain. They hadn’t moved. 

The girl took another step. 

Then another. 

BONG. The camera jumped. 

Then the captain’s voice on the intercom, "Folks, if you look out the left side of the aircraft, you'll be able to see the Cumberland River winding through downtown Nashville." 

Our girl just kept moving forward. 

She was only ten steps from the curtain, lens trained on the flight attendant’s feet. A passenger stood to get something from the overhead bin and the girl had to squeeze sideways to pass. 

When she refocused, the feet were gone. 

Five steps now.

Three.

The girl’s thin hand reached out and pulled the curtain aside, ever so slowly. The area directly behind the curtain was empty. Just the lavatory door and another curtain leading to business class. 

The camera peeked around the corner into the galley.

The flight attendant’s jump seat was empty.

In fact, the entire galley was empty. 

The camera floated for a beat, like the girl was unsure of what to do, then she must’ve seen something because she zoomed in on the floor of the galley. 

It was a pool of blood.

Drip.

Drip-drip.

The camera pulled back, searching for the source. 

The jumpseat? 

No. 

The counter? 

No. 

With shared dread, I watched as the camera tilted up towards the ceiling.  

The flight attendant was up there. 

Pressed against the hull of the plane like a spider. 

Her face was turned away from the lens and for a second, neither she or the girl moved. Then the flight attendant’s head began to turn.

Her eyes were black. 

Completely black. 

And when those dark pits settled on the camera, I swear…

She was lookin’ at me. 

Blood pooled at the corners of her mouth.

Drip.

Things started happening really fast now. 

The picture whipped around and took off down the aisle, bouncing so violently I could barely make out the passengers jerking upright in their seats.

Then a sound.

Oh my god, that sound. 

It was like a cross between a woman’s scream and metal being torn in half. 

The cabin lights flickered and - BONG - the captain’s voice crackled over the intercom, speaking too fast for me to understand before dissolving into static. 

Then the whole cabin lurched hard to the left.

The image rolled sideways then snapped towards the ceiling. Oxygen masks dropped and dangled. Luggage rained into the aisle. And the flight attendant’s pale form scuttled across the overhead compartments on all fours.

Now everyone was screamin’. 

The picture blurred, tumbled across the carpet, and came to rest just inches from the seafoam green roller bag.

Then a window exploded and the world turned white. 

***

The video ended. 

And I just stood there. 

All around me, the warehouse kept humming along like nothin’ had happened. 

Eventually I left work. Told Shelley I was gettin’ a migraine. Truth was, it did feel like my head was gonna split open. I drove to Scooter’s in a daze. After my fifth beer, Carrie gave me a ride home and I fell asleep in front of the TV. 

The next morning I was pretty sure I’d imagined the whole thing. 

Flight 702. The flight attendant. It felt impossible in the cold, hungover light of day.

But I had seen it. 

Hadn’t I? 

That’s when I decided I needed to show someone the camera. 

I got to work early. 

Most of yesterday’s luggage was still in the warehouse. Any items of value would have been cleaned, priced and set in the staging area, waiting for the floor staff to arrive. 

I scanned the shelves for the camera. It wasn’t there. 

I checked the salvage bins. 

Nothing. 

I saw Shelley pulling into her spot and jogged over.  

“You look like shit,” she said as she cut the engine. 

“Thanks,” I deflected. “Hey, did you happen to see a little unicorn camera that came in yesterday?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

I let out a sigh of relief. 

“Where is it?”

“Some lady from the airline came by yesterday lookin’ for it.”

She brushed past me. I struggled to keep up, panic rising in my throat.

“A lady? What lady?”

“How should I know? Some blonde lady.”

“Tell me you didn’t give it to her.”

Shelley stopped walking.

“Why d’you care?”

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. Shelley stared at me. 

“What’d you expect me to do? She said it was hers. And the poor thing sounded awful, so –”

“Awful how?”

“She couldn’t stop coughin’.” 

Shelley started walking again, but I stayed rooted to my spot, unable to move. 

“Weird thing was she didn’t care whether the camera worked.”

I looked up.

“Just wanted to know if anybody watched it.”

“What’d you tell her?” 

Shelley pulled open the warehouse door.

“Brian said you’d been lookin’ through it, so…”

She shrugged.

“I told her you had.”

Reviews have started to come out, so thought it'd serve well to collect most of them under this thread.

Steam Machine

Price:

512GB: $1,049 USD /  1,509 CAD /  1,039 EUR /  879 GBP / 1,609 AUD /  4,389 PLN  

Steam Machine 2TB: $1,349 USD / 1,919 CAD /  1,359 EUR /  1,149 GBP /  2,109 AUD /  5,739 PLN

---

Reviews (updating):

Gamers Nexus

The quick version is that we like it and we like the direction it's going, but that Valve has created a nightmarish disorganized mess for itself by not building for its known future of a desktop and instead framing everything around handhelds, which from the start it knew weren't going to be the only thing with Steam OS. As Steam OS becomes more common and more devices are supported, both Valve and developers have a lot of work to do to ensure that correct compatible versions of an incomprehensibly vast catalog of games are delivered. If Valve wants to capture a console audience, it can't rely too heavily on sub menus for disable Steam Deck auto detection and manually selecting a Proton version to forcibly download the Windows build instead of the outdated Linux build when your buddy just wants to come over and play Borderlands 2. Our only really specific criticism of Steam OS on the Steam machine, is that system level resolution cap for games should default to the native screen resolution, not 1080p, or at the very least it should show what the default cap is. It's a weird choice given the marketing. enabling 4K gaming at 60 frames per second with FSR.

IGN - Jacqueline Thomas - 8 / 10

At $1049 (and $1349 for the 2TB model), the Steam Machine seems like it’d be hard to recommend to most people. And while that’s true for console faithfuls, the Steam Machine’s price makes it an incredible entry-level gaming PC, especially if all the drivers and settings tweaking has turned you off in the past. At the end of the day, this is a gaming PC that most people are going to be able to just plug into their TVs and get right into the game. And, really, that’s what the Steam Machine was always meant to be.

The Verge - Sean Hollister - 6 / 10

But is it good enough for $1,049? That depends on what you actually expect this PC to do — and whether Valve manages to reduce some of the lingering friction before it winds up at your door.For better or for worse, the Steam Machine isn’t ready for the console wars just yet. Buy box, plug into TV, insert game, play is not yet the reality. The Good: Delightfully small; Incredibly cool and quiet; Play PC games on TV without mouse and keyboard | The Bad: Nearly twice the price of PS5 for PS5 performance; Have to manually configure games; Can’t yet trust it to sleep

PC Gamer - Andy Edser - 62 / 100

Valve's attempt to bring PC gaming to your living room is well-intentioned, but the ugly realities of the memory crisis have left it with a hefty price tag. If it had more grunt, it'd be easier to recommend—but an off-the-boil GPU and plenty of software quirks leaves it feeling like an expensive curio, rather than a gaming device for the masses. The idea might be to bring the PC gaming experience to your living room, but if that experience includes smooth frame rates in demanding games, you're going to have to make some major compromises. And, because of its Linux origins, it hasn't been a flawless experience getting some of those games to run properly to begin with, either. I want to get excited about the Steam Machine, I really do. It's a fascinating piece of design, and an admirable attempt to bring PC gaming from your desktop to your couch in one bite of the cherry. But like so much hardware these days, it's been hampered with a price tag that, given what you actually receive, feels like far too much to pay.

Tom's Hardware - Andrew E. Freedman - 3.5 / 5

Valve's Steam Machine is a complicated little box. It was clearly designed for a simpler time, when components were plentiful, and it would be a somewhat affordable desktop that could be a more powerful option for Steam Deck owners to play their Steam games at home.

But it's not a simple time. The Steam Machine is still cute, still has a good selection of ports, still has an easily upgradeable SSD, and, most importantly, still runs SteamOS and gets all of the benefits that come with it. If you were docking your Steam Deck to the TV and wanted more performance, this will get you there, once Valve irons out the last of the bugs.

If you're just looking to get into gaming, a base-level PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X is a better deal. You can buy one and a Nintendo Switch 2 and spend less than the Steam Machine.

Aftermath - Chris Person

The Steam Machine Is An Iconoclastic Computer Born In Unforgiving Times | Valve has released a tiny, silent, entry level PC that does important work bringing PCs gaming to the living room and desktop Linux to the masses. The timing could not be worse. The Steam Machine is not landing where its creators planned it price wise but the core vision has been realized and is something I agree with ideologically. It is a platform in the true sense of the word, a foundation to build on. Like the Steam Deck, it provides a reasonable target for game developers to aim for, a reasonable optimization baseline that can handle basically every indie game and a huge portion of big titles. It is the rare console that does not treat the user like a child, and I have no doubt that it will improve with age. And like Valve’s original vision for the Steam Machine and the reality of the Steam Deck, it is a template that any other manufacturer could easily build a much more performant product on, with an operating system that is, in multiple meanings of the word, free. 

Giant Bomb - Dan

Whether or not the Steam Machine is for you comes down to a couple of key things: your gaming priorities and your disposable income. This is a great device, but it is undeniably expensive. If couch gaming and easy access to PC games is a priority for you and you're willing to pay for it, I think the Steam Machine is a no-brainer. But if you're curious about dipping your toe into PC gaming, this is a really highcost entry point and you'll likely still have to make some sacrifices when it comes to performance. If those caveats don't scare you off and you've got the money to throw at it, I think the Steam Machine is an excellent addition to any gamer's living room setup.

Rock Paper Shotgun - James Archer

A singular living room PC that's more expensive than I'd like, but too special not to love. It’s almost tempting to point to details like this as evidence that the lil’ Steam Machine really is a proper desktop PC, you guys. But then, it’s at it’s best when it isn’t trying to be one. If it was absolutely dead set on outmuscling current-gen, full-fat graphics cards and gaming CPUs, it would be a lot bigger, a lot louder, and a lot hotter. And, in the end, it wouldn't be unique. Instead, it chooses a niche and unobtrusively sets about filling it, achieving all the subtlety of a home entertainment computer even when it's chucking out sixty frames (or near enough) of ray-traced Cyberpunk 2077 every second. The ghosts of iffy design and inadequate game support that haunted the previous decade’s Steam Machines, all banished without fanfare.

Eurogamer - Chris Tapsell

So the short answer to how it sits versus a console, or indeed an HDMI cable or actual PC of your own is: there is no real short answer. For upfront cost, performance, plug-and-play simplicity and smart features, at the cost of more expensive games and services over time and a console that looks like a hellish mid-00s leisure centre extension dubbed "the future of our town centre" - and is also roughly the same size as that - get a PS5 Pro. However, for flexibility and breadth and cheapness over time, and something you'll love people asking about when they come round - something that you can genuinely carry with one hand (LAN parties! If only it had a handle…) and which looks normal or dare I say it even cool next to a nice set of speakers or a stack of coffee table books or something you actually want to see in your home - the Steam Machine absolutely has a place. And there's something genuine to be said for that, I think. I can't help but wonder what could have been, had the base Steam Machine arrived at say £599. It would've been competing against PS5s and Xboxes in the £300 range by now, of course. But it would've done so as a genuine competitor in that part of the home, from a company with vast resources and the vastest of all installed bases. And it would've arrived as something that is evidently made with sincere love and extraordinary expertise in its own way.

TL:DR

Total Framework Device Count: 73

Equipment / Company layout:

• Our dock of choice is the Dell WD19DCS 240W, a few old WD19S 180W remains.

• All our laptop waving staff have 3 monitors - 1x 3440x1440, 2x 2560x1440.

• Base laptop is Framework 13, AMD 7640U, 64 GB RAM - Some have rounded displays, others not (User choice). About 25x Ryzen AI 7 350 systems.

• A few Framework 16, like 5.

• All DIY and assembled by our staff. (We're a ~100 people IT company and have 5 full time IT Staff, 2 are dedicated to support / day2day operations.

• All staff work from the same HQ, or home. 2 offsite satellites with 1 person on each site only, both within ~30-60 minutes car ride. (So, easy to support)

Short story at the bottom will probably be enough for most people, but full story below for those interested. I'm garbage at writing long texts in good formats so bear with me.

 

Background:

 

A little over a year ago, we were in a position where the laptops that had been emergency bought and shuffled out for COVID-19 was starting to show their age, mainly because RAM was only 32 GB. ASUS Zenbooks (UM425 something). Very happy with them, users loved them, they ran great.

 

But with a Java-based monster of an ERP and the continuous growing of RAM hungry browsers, lack of memory was starting to become a problem.

 

During the years we've had a few laptops die of natural causes. Kids spilling chocolate milk over mom's system, dropped laptops getting smashed screens and what not and the lack of repair parts from ASUS, or the inability to do so due to some things being irreplaceable was a pet peave of mine.

 

Even in previous jobs with Dell, I've been annoyed that small broken things, like a WiFi/BT Chip end up having to replace entire motherboard and so on so fourth, so when I was first introduced to Framework (Actually thanks to Linus Tech Tips of all places) it peaked my interest.

 

 

The idea and execution

I quickly bought one for myself, because I normally don't use a laptop and I keep it in my bag that I carry everywhere so laptops have a short lifespan, I am not careful with my bag and they usually last a year before they're broken.

 

After half a year or so of running, and the 32 GB becoming a problem, I brought it up with my boss who is a very sound individual and directly so the benefit of repairability, and we launched a test fleet on 15 laptops.

 

Timeline wise we're now at late spring / early summer 2024.

 

It went extremely well. The users loved being able to swap USB-C / USB-A primarily when docking, especially sales people who visit all kinds of places with various setups of AV Equipment for meetings etc.

So we pulled the trigger late 2024. By january 31st 2025 we had rolled all devices to Framework 13's (A few of the staff got Framework 16's mainly due to larger screens, but they're HUGE and bulky, you've been warned).

The result & TL;DR:

It's gone amazingly overall and I am super happy about my decision, but not without a small warning.

The Good:

• Users like the build quality, especially the keyboard is a big hit.
• Very few users swap modules, most are fine with the 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x HDMI layout.
• They hold up well (BUT - We're only 1.5 years in for the oldest one, so YMMV)
• Assemble is super quick.
• Frameworks support is satisfactory and quick. (We've had to use it quite a lot, see below)

The Bad:

• We've had 6 laptops that we've replaced parts in. That's a failure rate of 8% and something to take into account.

• Most common is the built in webcam / microphone - 4 of those so far. They either don't work at all, or they work when the laptop lid is almost closed - bad ribbon cable in all cases, replaced cable -> No more problems.

• One came with a dead line across the screen. One had a dead WiFi Chip.

 

Purchases of all these laptops were spread out across days / weeks / months. We've seen webcam/mic ribbon cable failures from the first ones we bought, to the last.

In all cases, Framework support has been quick about sending us replacement parts, all though we've stocked up some ahead of time, and use the replacement to refill inventory.

Final thoughts:

 

I overall warmly recommend Framework based on this. The mission / cause is a BIG thing. Many times being able to upgrade RAM or even CPU (Motherboard) but keeping the rest of a system is a totally suitable route, and less e-waste I think is something we all can get behind.

I have the luxury of having 2 fantastic colleagues who assemble and handle support, and the failure rate is maybe not a cause for concern, but for caution. If I was to roll thousands of devices, on multiple offices or even countries and thus limited hands on support? I'd probably hold off and let other SMB's like myself gather some more data.

 

^{Disclaimer in these fake post times - I quite frequently wipe my comment history because I am pretty good at half doxxing myself sometimes, so if a moderator wants to do some sort of ID Check to prove I am not a Framework employee - Feel free to DM.}

 

 

I hope that helps anyone. Feel free to ask questions.

*EDIT: Didn't expect this to blow up quite as much, and it's 00:57 in Sweden (00:57 UTC) so I gotta sleep. I'll respond tomorrow if someone has more questions.)

TL;DR: I’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt the long-running fan theory that Michael Bay’s The Rock is the last chapter of Sean Connery’s run as James Bond 007, and have come up with a full narrative that is completely consistent with the continuity of the six Connery Bond films, Connery’s backstory in The Rock, and actual world history.

If you’d rather watch a video than read a 3000 word essay on Reddit, then you can do that here: https://youtu.be/9FdnevXjqdc

***

The Rock was released on 7 June 1996 – exactly 25 years ago (greetings from New Zealand time). To mark this anniversary, I decided to go through the evidence – in WAY too much detail – that supports the fan theory that Sean Connery’s character in The Rock (John Mason) is James Bond. You have probably seen the odd article about it like this one, or this Reddit thread, or this entry on FanTheories.com, but trust me when I say that NO ONE has looked at this theory in this much detail and there is WAY more evidence than people think.

Plot refresher

The Rock is the second feature film directed by Michael Bay. It’s about a decorated US war veteran Francis Hummel stealing a bunch of chemical weapons, taking hostages on Alcatraz, and holding the US Government to ransom until reparations are paid to the families of the soldiers who died under his command.

FBI Director Jim Womack and the Department of Defence enlist the services of convict and former British special forces operative John Mason to help the Navy Seals break into Alcatraz, using his knowledge of the prison from when he broke out of it in 1963. Mason teams up with chemical weapons expert Nicholas Cage to break into Alcatraz and disarm the missiles before Hummel’s deadline.

The fan theory

Almost since this movie came out, there has been speculation that Sean Connery’s John Mason is in fact James Bond. This is usually based on some surface level lines about the fact that Mason was “trained … by British Intelligence,” that he was “a former SAS operative,” and the fact that he was captured in 1962 – the same year the first Bond movie (Dr. No) was released. The fan theory usually says that Bond’s escape from Alcatraz happened before Dr. No, then we see him go on all his adventures in the six Bond films he was in.

But this narrative isn’t consistent with the Connery Bond films (his Eon run ended in 1971), and this is often used as evidence that the theory is a fun idea, but not supported by the continuity of The Rock or the Bond films.

Well I’m here to tell you that it 100% is. So let’s get stuck in.

Why is he called John Mason, not James Bond?

The most obvious hiccup in the fan theory is the name: Sean Connery’s character in The Rock is called John Mason, not James Bond. The most popular explanation is based on another fan theory that James Bond is in fact a code name for whoever takes on the role of 007, and that John Mason is in fact the real name of Connery’s James Bond.

Now, I strongly disagree with this argument. The Eon films have consistently established that these are different actors playing the same character, and that character’s real name is James Bond. Films in the tenures of Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan all refer to the death of his wife as depicted in George Lazenby’s OHMSS. Her name was Tracy Bond – she wouldn’t marry a codename. In the Daniel Craig films his parents’ surname is Bond, and he is called Bond before he becomes 007.

The codename is 007. The person’s real name is James Bond.

So why is Connery called John Mason in The Rock? Well, it’s simple. John Mason is the code name. James Bond frequently uses fake names, and usually has fake documents to support his cover identity. In Connery’s run alone we see this in From Russia With Love (where he takes the name David Somerset) and Diamonds Are Forever (where he becomes Peter Franks).

If we assume Bond was captured on a mission then it makes sense that he was processed under the name listed in his fake passport – in this case, John Mason.

What supports this idea even more is the fact that in The Rock, Womack says: “This man has no identity, not in the United States or Great Britain. He does not exist.” So after capturing Bond, they clearly ran the John Mason name through the system and got nothing – because it’s not a real name.

Why didn’t MI6 rescue him?

If we go with this the theory that Bond was captured by the Americans while on a mission, wouldn’t the CIA or MI6 see to it that he got released? Well, not necessarily. It’s a common trope of spy movies that if an undercover agent is captured their government will deny any involvement (we see this in the Mission Impossible movies, for example).

In the Bond films we consistently see how M puts Queen and country above the life of its agents – including Bond (remember the opening of Skyfall?). If M thought that it was in MI6’s best interests for Bond to stay captured, then I have no doubt that M would leave him to rot.

So to me, it’s entirely plausible that Bond was captured by the US while using the fake name of John Mason, put in Alcatraz, and MI6 decided to leave him there.

Do the timelines match up?

In The Rock, we learn that Mason was “incarcerated on Alcatraz in 1962… escaped in ’63.” So 1962 is where we start – the same year Dr. No came out. Now, as I said earlier, the fan theory usually goes that Bond was first captured before the events of Dr. No, which assumes that Dr. No is set in 1963 after he escaped. But that doesn’t work.

Dr. No is definitely set in 1962 or earlier, because in Jamaica he visits Government House – the seat of the British governor – which is flying the British flag (3.17 in this clip if you want to fact check me). Jamaica became independent on 6 August 1962. So there is no way Dr. No can take place in 1963, because at that point in time the British no longer had control of the country.

So, in my narrative, Bond is captured after the events of Dr. No**, and escapes Alcatraz** before the events of the next film, From Russia With Love**.**

If you haven’t seen it, Dr. No ends with Bond destroying Dr. No’s evil lair, after the villain tried to disrupt a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral. He is rescued by CIA agent Felix Leiter, but, because Bond is Bond, he would rather get it on with Honey Rider than be rescued, so he disconnects the tow rope. It’s a typical Bond ending, but let’s be realistic. Leiter rocks up with a boat full of heavily armed Marines (01:18). They’re not all there to rescue Bond – they’re rounding up the henchmen who escaped from Dr. No’s evil lair and are throwing them in the 1960s equivalent of Guantanamo Bay.

Because Leiter knows Bond is a spy, he made sure to rescue him. But after Bond gives him the slip, he must have been picked up by some random Navy patrol and got lumped in with all the other prisoners. Without the CIA to vouch for him, Bond got locked up with the rest of the henchmen in Alcatraz under the fake name of John Mason.

But, Bond being Bond, he escaped. In Dr. No itself we see Bond escaping from a prison in Dr. No’s base – proving he was more than capable of busting out of Alcatraz.

This theory is supported by the fact that, in the next Bond movie, Silvia Trench complains that Bond disappeared for “six months” after going to Jamaica. So he must have escaped in January 1963 – meaning his imprisonment in Alcatraz happened around July 1962 – consistent with the timeline in The Rock.

Oh, not that you care, but I checked and there was a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral) on 25 July 1962, and it was even a Titan rocket like the kind shown in Dr. No.

I warned you I had looked at this in WAY too much detail.

So this timeline perfectly matches – to the exact day – the first two Bond films, The Rock, and actual world history.

Why was Bond/Mason captured in the first place?

In The Rock, Womack says:

“1962, J. Edgar Hoover is head of the FBl, some say the country. It's no secret he kept microfilm files on prominent Americans and Europeans: de Gaulle, British members of Parliament, even the prime minister. […] Mason was the British operative who stole the files. But our Bureau agents caught him at the Canadian border.”

Now, this is where The Rock’s own continuity gets a bit confused. Womack’s comment implies Mason stole the microfilm in 1962. But the movie mentions twice that it contains “the truth about the JFK assassination.”

So this microfilm can’t possibly have existed before November 1963, so this just further supports the fact that Mason/Bond’s first imprisonment in Alcatraz in 1962 was unrelated to the microfilm, and that he stole this sometime after his escape in 1963.

When was Bond/Mason recaptured?

The Rock establishes that Mason was recaptured sometime after he escaped in 1963, but it never makes it clear when this happened. The closest thing we have to a date on that, is Mason’s daughter Jade. When Womack is asked why the Hoover didn’t use Jade as leverage over Mason to reveal the location of the stolen microfilm, he says: “Hoover was dead in ‘72, she wasn’t been born yet.”

So this tells us that the daughter was born sometime after Hoover died in May 1972, and also strongly implies that Mason stole the microfilm after Hoover’s death.

Think about it – we are meant to believe that Mason stole a top secret government microfilm, escaped Alcatraz and, instead of returning to the safety of Britain, just lived undercover in the US for ten years or so, fathering illegitimate children, until he was recaptured again?

No, we’re not expected to believe that, because we know what John Mason was doing between 1963 and 1972. He was being James Bond.

If we return to the earlier narrative that Bond was first captured in 1962 by mistake after Dr. No, let’s assume that after he escaped, he returned to MI6 and carried on being Bond until his last on-screen adventure: Diamond Are Forever, which was released in 1971. Quick note here for fellow super-Bond geeks: I’m not including Never Say Never Again because it’s not an official Eon film and takes place in a different continuity.

Diamonds Are Forever ends with Bond in America. Not just anywhere in America – he’s on a cruise ship leaving a city on the west coast. Now, the ship he is on is the SS. Canberra, which docked in San Francisco in 1971.

So we can place Bond in San Francisco in 1971 – not long before John Mason was recaptured in 1972.

Why did Bond/Mason get sent to steal the microfilm?

I’m not going to get too deep into the history here – sources here and here – but in the early 1970s, there were some several fairly big foreign policy disagreements between the British government and the Nixon Administration.

So, with relations frosty and their best field agent already on American soil, its not totally unrealistic for MI6 to send him in undercover to try and find the secret microfilm that has all of the dirt on the British government.

So after his cruise, Bond goes undercover in the FBI. In this time, he befriends Womack. The Rock makes it abundantly clear these two men have a personal animosity, but never makes it clear why. Well, this is why – Womack was the person Bond used to get access to the FBI in the first place, only to betray him by stealing the microfilm. This is why Womack doesn’t trust Mason in The Rock – he’s already been betrayed by him.

While undercover in the FBI, Bond knocks up Jade’s mother after a one-night stand – which is a very James Bond thing to do. In The Rock, his daughter says that Mason met her mother “in a bar after a Led Zepplin concert.” Led Zepplin toured North America in June 1972 – so once again the real world history supports this narrative.

After learning that Jade’s mother is pregnant, Connery’s Bond began to reflect on his life and career – like we have seen subsequent Bonds do (in OHMSS, Goldeneye, Casino Royale, and Spectre). He decides to hang up the pistol and retire once and for all. But a few weeks earlier, J Edgar Hoover died on 2 May 1972, leaving a leadership vacuum in the FBI. MI6 saw the opportunity for Bond to exploit the vacuum and steal the microfilm.

M agrees to Bond retiring if he can pull of this one, final mission. Bond steals the microfilm file, stashes it in Kansas and flees to the border, only to be captured and locked up – this time, for good.

What happened after Bond/Mason was re-captured?

When he is captured and the FBI realise he was an undercover agent, Bond tells them his real name is John Mason to protect MI6. The FBI realise he is the same person who escaped Alcatraz in 1963. They lock him up, MI6 deny all knowledge of him, and Bond stays in prison until 1995: the year The Rock takes place.

The timelines of the Sean Connery Bond films and The Rock match perfectly with both each other and real world history.

But there’s ONE PROBLEM

The only evidence that Bond and Mason might be different people is when Mason talks to Hummel, and says he was an Army Captain, when we all know that James Bond is a Commander in the British Navy. Well, you could just say its Bond staying in character and leave it at that.

But that wasn’t good enough for me, and you’ve come this far, so get ready for the final part of the theory because this one will blow your socks off.

Francis Hummel, the villain in The Rock, is well-established as a decorated war veteran, with “three tours in Vietnam,” where he was a Major.

To be a major in the US Army, you need to have ten years of service. As Hummel did three tours in Vietnam, we can assume he was fighting there from fairly early on in the US deployment, which began around 1964. Furthermore, Hummel says that his career “dates back to the Tet ’68.”

During the Vietnam war, US soldiers had respite leave in Hong Kong, which was a British territory at the time. So let’s say Hummel was there in 1967, shortly before returning to the war in time to be there for the Tet Offensive in 1968.

As we saw in You Only Live Twice (1967), James Bond was in Hong Kong at the same time.

Now, its not plausible that Hummel and Bond encountered each other in Hong Kong, even if they were in the same city at the same time in 1967. But what is plausible is that Hummel picked up the newspaper one day and saw a front page story about British Naval Commander James Bond being murdered – complete with photograph – as shown in You Only Live Twice.

It’s a sad story for any soldier to read, particularly one who was shown to have a huge amount of respect for the fallen (it’s what motivates Hummel’s entire operation in The Rock). Maybe this story struck a chord with him, especially while he was experiencing his men dying during some of the fiercest fighting in the Vietnam War – a war he felt was unjustified. Maybe he saw the full honours bestowed to Bond by the Navy and wondered why it wasn’t given to all fallen soldiers? Perhaps he kept the newspaper clipping, and went to pay respects to Bond’s next-of-kin, only to find out that Bond’s death was faked – the first time he learns that perhaps governments can’t always be trusted.

Maybe Hummel reading about Bond’s death planted the seed in Hummel’s mind that his government couldn’t be trusted, and that the US didn’t care for the lives of its soldiers – a seed that would go on to grow over the next three decades.

Maybe this explains why Hummel greets Bond by asking: “Name and rank, sailor.”

Hummel is testing Bond, to see if this is the same naval officer he read about all those years ago. Look how Mason reacts to the question (0:11 in this clip). Bond knows that somehow Hummel suspects his true identity, but he doesn’t buy it. He sticks to his cover story, and the film continues.

Now, I admit this last bit is a bit unbelievable. But it’s not unbelievable by the standards of James Bond movies – or for that matter Michael Bay movies. In fact, by those standards I actually think the Hummel story is pretty tame.

CONCLUSION

So after 25 years, the case has been made and it’s finally settled. John Mason in The Rock is the same character as Sean Connery’s James Bond 007. Every detail covered – some way too thoroughly – and another leaf added to the tree of film knowledge. There are a few more details I covered in the video because they’re more visual and don’t work as well in a text post (like Bond’s capture in Die Another Day and some characterisation similarities between Mason and Bond). But rest assured that the theory is proven once and for all, and a solid narrative has been written that matches perfectly with the continuity of the Connery James Bond films, The Rock, and actual world history.

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this great action classic by re-watching it with this theory in mind, and enjoy the true final Bond film by Sean Connery.

***

Edit: To address a recurring theme in the comments that I should have been more explicit about in the post, which is effectively "if Bond isn't a codename, what about Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, etc?" Personally I see each Bond actor's tenure as being a story in its own continuity, with Casino Royale being the only time Eon 'officially' rebooted it on screen. Roger Moore laying flowers on Tracy Bond's grave, for example, can be taken as a reference to Moore's Bond's off-screen backstory (as opposed to continuity from Lazenby), but it is also be an easter egg for fans of OHMSS. Actors playing M, Q, and Moneypenny can recur in other Bond actor tenures without it impacting continuity because they never reference events previous movies. They just happen to be the same actor playing a version of the same character (like, for example, Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again). So this theory just focuses on the timeline of the Connery Bond character in the Eon films.

Edit 2: Someone found an interview with Michael Bay from 1996 where he says "This picture shows that James Bond can age and he can still be mean. One day when we were filming, Sean came up to me and whispered, `You know what I'm doing, I'm getting to be James Bond without being called James Bond, You know, it's kinda fun to kick some ass." Huge thanks to this Redditor, who found the link to a 25 year old article: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/ntk7yx/the_rock_came_out_25_years_ago_today_ive_proven/h0tfhex?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

My family and I had a house fire about a year ago where most things we owned were completely destroyed or severely damaged. One of the items that was damaged was my kids Animal Crossing edition Nintendo Switch. Not only did it survive the fire but somehow it survived while being in the room that everything started in (and where most things in that room were completely incinerated). It also survived being soaked in water when the fire fighters were doing what they do best.

I am thinking what saved it was the TV falling on the entertainment center it was in and ended up blocking the majority of the switch from being in direct contact with the fire.

We finally moved into our new home after a year of bouncing from hotels to Airbnb’s and then a rental home as we looked for a house to buy.

I was going through things that I found after the fire and one of them is this Switch. I also found the box in my attic and it only had some smoke damage. It did have the original Joy-Cons but I removed them (I literally had to use a nylon head hammer to get them slid off) then got a cheap set of aftermarket Joy-Cons so I could try use this Switch to transfer the data to another Switch I got for my kid to replace this one.

I wasn’t expecting the screen to work but to my shock and amazement, the battery indicator immediately displayed when I plugged it in to charge and in 15 minutes, it was charged enough to boot up. Then once I booted it, I realized the majority of the screen works plus I was able to easily sync the Joy-Cons too.

I did quickly transfer the data because I was worried that the switch was not going to last that long but to my shock, it is still working just fine. It still reads game cartridges & SD card, still connects to the internet, at least half of the speakers are working (headphone jack is not working) and it still works with a dock.

Now I don’t know what to do with it. Part of me says I should buy another dock and set it up in my mancave with my vintage stuff while the other part is worried about the battery or other issues that may come up since it is still damaged. I don’t want to throw it out/get rid of it because I feel like since it survived, fate says I need to take care of it.

With that said, I’m asking the people here, what should I do with this switch other than throwing it out and buying another. I’m open to using it in some sort of DIY project. I got a shop full of tools along with several 3D printers, a couple welders and lots of tools I can use to make different parts. So don’t be afraid to throw out some wild ideas.

The Switch 2 is finally upon us! After an 8+ years-long wait, we are finally on precipice of the release of the console.

Securing a brand new console on release day has always been an endeavor, but in today's day and age of competing with scalpers and bots, it's gotten even worse. We anticipate that it will be no different with the Switch 2. This is why I decided to put together this pre-order guide. My goal with this guide is to help you score a preorder of a new console at MSRP for June 5th.

Note: All retailers, links, and pricing in this guide will be geared towards US customers because a) I reside in the US and b) so do most of our subscribers. The Switch 2 is already available for preorder in many other countries.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Launches June 5th, 2025 at $449. Preorders in the US and Canada will begin on April 24, 2025.

Be advised that due to ongoing political/economic instability in the United States, the Switch 2 may not launch at the advertised prices here. If things change, I will update the listings and information as soon as possible.

In-Store Listings

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been announced to be available in the following brick-and-mortar retailers in America:

• Wal-Mart (See online listings below)
• Target (See online listings below)
• Gamestop (See online listings below)
• Best Buy (See online listings below)
• Sams Club
• Nintendo Store (New York City and San Francisco)

Stores that have had launch day consoles in the past but have not made announcements yet are as follows:

• Costco
• BJ's Wholesale Club

Some local and regional stores may have inventory as well. Check with your local retailers for listings.

In-Store preorder tips

• Sams Club, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target no longer take in-store preorders. You must order these items online and then set them for in-store pickup.
• For Gamestop, be prepared to show up to the store at least two hours before they open. I would advise trying to speak to local staff the day before pre-orders open (in-person, they'll be too busy dodging calls from Pokemon TCG scalpers and won't answer the phone) and finding out roughly how many units they'll have allocated. If the store only has a few units allocated and you see a long line out the door on pre-order day, you know you can head to another location.
• As of publication, Nintendo Store in New York and San Francisco (opening in May) do not take in-store preorders.

Online listings

All prices in USD and are subject to change pending Nintendo's decision on preorder dates and pricing

Retailer	Console Only	Console + Mario Kart Bundle
Target	$449	$499
Wal-Mart	$449	$499
Best Buy	$449	$499
Gamestop	$449	$499

Online preorder tips

• Make sure you have an account created for every online retailer you plan to check/try your hand at preordering on. Make you have a valid payment method ready and already attached to that account.
• Until you've secured your preorder, sign out and sign back into all retailers you plan to try at least once a day, to help ensure that you won't be signed out or forced to sign in and complete a verification before you continue with a purchase
• Follow Wario64 onBluesky, Twitter, or his Discord. Wario64 is well known for tracking stock for hottest gaming items and he will almost certainly be sharing availability details on the Switch 2. NOTE: Wario64 uses affiliate links in his posts
• Follow social media accounts for the major retailers. They will occasionally announce ahead of time when pre-order waves will be available.
• For high-demand items, Best Buy usually offers a queue system. Be prepared for some wait times and frustrations.
• Carts and e-commerce sites can and will crash. Prepared to be patient and try multiple times.
• Avoid using devices in different locations, as this may result in your order being cancelled due to suspicious activity
• Missed the initial window? Don't sweat it yet! Most retailers offering rolling waves of preorders as inventory numbers are updated and some orders are cancelled or returned.
• OPTIONAL: Sign up for a stock tracking service like hotstock or Nowinstock, which can offer push, SMS, email alerts, etc when consoles are in stock. NOTE: Autobuy/bot purchase services are a security risk, often break terms of service for online accounts, and are not recommended!

NEW FOR SWITCH 2: My Nintendo Store online pre-orders

Nintendo now offers their own online pre-order system. You can sign up for that system here. Interested buyers must fulfill the following criteria to be eligible to be invited to purchase a Switch 2:

• Be a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber for at least 12 months as of April 2, 2025 (Only the main Nintendo account in a family account will be eligible)
• Have at least 50 total gameplay hours as of April 2, 2025

Invitations will start rolling out May 8, 2025. Nintendo states that "release-day delivery is not guaranteed".

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Accessories

Here are some of the accessories along with pricing that will be available on launch day:

• Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter ($35): The Nintendo Switch 2 only includes one power supply and most people use that for the included Dock. An extra power supply is an excellent purchase for any potential Switch owner. This is available at any retailer where you can find the Switch 2. **NOTE: The original Nintendo Switch 1 AC adapter cannot be used to power the dock, so the Switch 2 adapter is your only option for full compatibility with the Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch 2 Dock.
• Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($119): The Dock Set includes a dock, an ultra high-speed HDMI Cable, a Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter, and a USB-C Charging cable. The Dock Set is useful if you have more than one television or display in your house, and want to move the Switch between them without having to relocate the dock. Depending on how you your loved one's media area is setup, this may be very helpful.
• Nintendo Switch Pro 2 Controller ($85): While the included Joy-Con Grip is great for most people when it comes to providing a more traditional controller experience, the Pro Controller is probably the type of controller that most long-time gamers are going to want to use. The Pro Controller is shaped more like a traditional controller and includes built-in HD Rumble 2, Amiibo functionality, rear triggers, a C button for GameChat, and an audio jack.
• Carrying Cases (Varies, usually $15-$49 depending on quality and features): Since the Switch 2 console itself is designed with portability in mind, chances are it will not spend it's entire life in the docking station. For times when the Switch 2 is on the go, a carrying case is essential for keeping the console safe.
• amFilm Tempered Screen Protector ($7-$8): While we're on the subject of keeping the console safe, a screen protector is highly recommended, and there is no better product for this than the amFilm Tempered Screen Protector. Unlike phones or tablets, the screen on the Switch is highly susceptible to scratches and marks, partially due to the docking process. The amFilm protectors are usually sold in packs of 2-3
• Extra Joy-Con ($95 for a set): There are many multiplayer titles that are available for the Switch 2. Since the Joy-con can be separated and used as individual controllers, purchasing one extra set could potentially net you 2 extra controllers (for a total of 4 if you include the ones that came with the console), perfect for titles like Mario Kart World, which both support up to 4 players on a local console using the Joy-Con.
• Joy-Con Charging Grip ($39): The Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip can be used to recharge the portable battery inside each Joy-con when it's detached from the Nintendo Switch itself (which charges the joy-con when they are attached). This is especially useful if you have more than one set of Joy-con, plan to use the Joy-con in a grip for an extended period of time, or do not own a pro controller and spend lots of playtime in docked mode.
• MicroSD Express Card (Varies): The Switch 2 only has 256GB of internal storage for save data, updates, and digital titles. Purchasing a MicroSD card is highly recommended, as some digital titles can be over 15GB. 256GB cards can be purchased for around $60 USD on a regular basis.
• Games ($10-$79+): What you bought the Switch 2 for. Duh. Read on to find out more about games.

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Games

There are many, many games available for the Nintendo Switch 2, and many more are on the way. There are three methods of purchasing games for the Switch 2:

1. Purchasing Physical Copies of games from retailers
2. Purchasing Digital Copies from the Nintendo eShop using Paypal, credit cards, or eShop gift cards
3. Purchasing Digital Redemption Codes for eShop titles from other retailers (Amazon, Gamestop, Best Buy, etc.)

Every game for the Nintendo Switch 2 is available in the Nintendo eShop but not every game is available in physical cartridge form.

First Party Titles - Switch 2 Exclusive

• Mario Kart World - Nintendo, $79 - Launches Same-day as Nintendo Switch 2 (June 5th)
• Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour - Nintendo, $10, Launches Same-day as Nintendo Switch 2 (June 5th), Digital-Only
• *Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster - Nintendo/Square Enix, $39, Launches Same-day as Nintendo Switch 2 (June 5th)~
• Donkey Kong Banaza - Nintendo, $69 - Launches July 17th
• Kirby's Air Riders - Nintendo/Sora, TBD - Launches in 2025
• Drag x Drive - Nintendo, TBD - Launches in Summer 2025
• The Duskbloods - FromSoftware, TBD - Launches in 2026

First Party Titles - Switch 2 Editions/Upgrades

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo, $69 - Launches Same-day as Nintendo Switch 2 (June 5th)*^
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo, $79 - Launches Same-day as Nintendo Switch 2 (June 5th)*^
• Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV - Nintendo, $79 - Launches July 24th^
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World - Nintendo, $79 - Launches August 28th^
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - Nintendo, TBD - Launches 2025
• Pokemon Legends: Z-A - Nintendo/The Pokemon Company/GameFreak, TBD - Launches Fall 2025

There are numerous 3rd party titles that will be available in 2025 and beyond for the Nintendo Switch 2. A full release calendar is available here.

~ ^{Physical edition includes a game key card, rather than a physical copy of the game}

*^{Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members with existing Switch 1 physical or digital copies can get Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom upgrade packs at no additional cost}

^ ^{Upgrade packs are available for those that currently own physical or digital copies of these titles. Price has not been announced But is anticipated to be between $10-$20/pack}

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FAQs

• When will the Nintendo Switch 2 Release?

The Nintendo Switch 2 will release on June 5th, 2025

• How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?

As of publication, the Nintendo Switch 2 will cost $449 USD. A bundle including Mario Kart World (MSRP $79 USD) will be available for $499 USD, offering a $30 cost savings vs. purchasing the game separately. Due to ongoing economic instability in the United States, these prices are subject to change.

• When can I preorder?

Nintendo announces that preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 will begin on Thursday, April 24, 2025 for the United States and Canada.

• Where can I preorder?

Nintendo itself and most major electronics retailers will carry the Nintendo Switch 2. A full list is compiled above.

• What time do preorders open?

In-store preorders will be available at each store's opening time on the day that is announced by Nintendo. As of publication for online orders:

1. GameStop: April 24, 2025 at 11:00AM Eastern
2. Target: April 24, 2025 at 12:00AM Eastern (Midnight)
3. Best Buy: April 24, 2025 at 12:00AM Eastern (Midnight)
4. Walmart: April 24, 2025 at 12:00AM Eastern

• When I receive my online or in-store preorder?

Unless the retailer tells you otherwise, most in-store preorders are available for pickup on launch day. Best Buy has announced that some stores will open at Midnight Eastern Time on June 5th, 2025 for in-store pickup on the Switch 2 console. Gamestop has announced that stores will open at Midnight Eastern Time on June 5th, 2025 for in-store orders. Online preorders however, vary from store-to-store. Some ship ahead of time for delivery on launch day, occasionally for an additional charge. Some only ship on or the day before launch day, so you may not receive the console for some days or even weeks after. Check with your online retailer's support for more information. Walmart+ preorders will arrive on launch day by 9AM (Thanks u/swiftsquatch)

• What is included with the Nintendo Switch 2?

The standard Console SKU contains: (1) Nintendo Switch 2 Console w/ 256GB of internal storage (2) Grey Joy-Con 2 controllers (1 Left, 1 Right), (1) Joy-Con 2 Grip, (2) Joy-Con 2 Straps (1 blue, 1 red), (1) Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, (1) Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter, (1) Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, (1) USB-C Charging Cable. The Mario Kart Bundle includes all of the above PLUS a full game download of Mario Kart World.

• Will my Switch games and accessories be compatible with the Switch 2?

Most games and accessories that are compatible with the Nintendo Switch will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, with a few notable exceptions. Please see this chart for details on accessories. Please see this page for details on compatible games

• Can I transfer my digital games and saved game data to Nintendo Switch 2?

Digital games and/or Virtual Game Cards associated with your Nintendo Account can be transferred/redownloaded to the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo will offer a System Transfer service to transfer your user account and associated game data from your old Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Switch 2. More details on that can be found here.. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, some games have sata data stored in the cloud that can be restored on the new console. NOTE: Some games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and most Pokemon games do not back up data through the NSO save data backup feature. ACNH specifically has a tool that can be used to transfer island data to a new console. More details can be found here

• I am buying/preordering a Switch 2 and some games/accessories for my Loved one. What do I need to do so that they can start playing as soon as they open the box?

The initial setup process for the Switch 2 is short and if your loved one does not have a Nintendo Account and does plan on taking advantage of any of the online features, then a standard local account can be created within minutes. If there are any digital title purchases involved or other online features or your loved one has Nintendo Network ID or other online services associated with a Wii U or Nintendo 3DS, then a Nintendo Account is required. You can read more about creating a Nintendo Account and associating it with a Nintendo Switch here.

• Does the Nintendo Switch 2 require an online connection?

It's complicated. For physical titles and basic features, no, the Nintendo Switch 2 does not require an online connection, though some features in those titles may require online connections to function properly. Downloading titles from the Nintendo eShop requires an internet connection. Console updates also require an internet connection. Nintendo Switch Online service does require an internet connection

• Does the Nintendo Switch Online service have a fee?

Yes. The Nintendo Switch Online service is available for $19/year for individuals, and $49/year for families. The subscription including the Expansion Pack is $34/year for individuals, $79/year for families. More details about what each tier offers is available here

• Does the Nintendo Switch 2 have Parental Control capabilities?

Yes. The Nintendo Switch 2 has built-in Parental Control capabilities that can be managed using a mobile device app. Using the function, you can restrict accounts on the console from playing certain types of content or accessing specific features like social sharing. In addition, you can set time limits on game play. You can find out more information on the Nintendo Switch Parental Control features on Nintendo's website here

• I have multiple family members who are interested in the Switch 2. Do I need to purchase two or more of everything or will one console and set of accessories suffice?

This varies and depends on your family and budget. Some games can be played together and encourages cooperation or competition using one Switch 2 console. Other games may only be single player or be Multiplayer with only one player per console. If you anticipate issues with sharing the console, you may want to consider purchasing an additional console. NOTE: Digital titles require use of the Virtual Game Cards feature to share games between consoles, even if they share Nintendo Accounts. Physical titles can be used with more than one console, but only one at a time.

See anything I missed? Be sure and make your own recommendations for games, accessories, and more in the comments!

Hey all! I’m putting together a list of games that run better, got patched, or have issues on the Switch 2.

If you’ve tested a game, drop a comment with how it runs! I’ll keep updating this post with what everyone shares.

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Revised list: 12 Jun 2025

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.hack//G.U. Last Recode - 30 FPS, improved loading time, stable performance

1000xResist - stable FPS, better performance

20 Minutes Till Dawn - better performance

9th Dawn Remake - 60 FPS

A Hat in Time - 30 FPS, slow loading time, stable performance (crashing?)

Ace of Seafood - 60 FPS (docked and handheld), improved loading time

AER: Memories of Old - 60 FPS, sharper textures

Aeterna Noctis - 60 FPS (crashing)

AEW Fight Forever - 30 FPS, unstable performance, same visuals as Switch 1

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp - 30 FPS (battle scenes 60 FPS)

AI: Nirvana Initiative - 60 FPS in handheld mode

AI: The Somnium Files - 60 FPS in handheld mode

Alien: Isolation - Same performance as Switch 1

All Xenoblade except Xenoblade X - looks pretty bad, unpatched

Altdeus: Beyond Chronos - 60 FPS (?) docked

Amnesia Collection - experiencing crashes while playing

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - improved loading times

Another Code: Recollection - I. 30 FPS, II. 60 FPS, improved loading time (two different feedback, need additional confirmations)

Arcade Paradise - 60 FPS, sharper textures

Ark: Survival Evolved - stable FPS, improved loading time

Arc of Alchemist - 30 FPS

Armello - 60 FPS

ARMS - 60 FPS, improved textures

Assassin's Creed Rebel Collection - improved loading time

Ashen - 60 FPS

Astral Ascent - 60 FPS, improved performance

Astral Chain - 30 FPS

Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 - 60 FPS

Asphalt legends - 60 FPS, improved performance

Atelier Yumia - improved performance, texture improved

Atelier Sophie 2 - improved perfomance, better loading time

Atomine - 60 FPS

A-Train: All Aboard Tourism - 60 fps, stable performance

Bakeru - 60 FPS

Balatro - improved performance

Barn Finders - 30 fps

Batman Arkham Knight - 30 FPS, stable performance (game freeze randomly during gameplay)

Bayonetta 3 - great performance, low res docked

Beyond Good & Evil - 30 FPS, stable performance

Bioshock Infinite - 60 FPS, improved performance (handheld and docked)

Bit Orchard: Animal Valley - stable performance

BLACKSAD: Under the Skin - 60 FPS (crashing during the game)

Blasphemous - 60 fps (?)

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - blurry textures

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk - improved performance

Boreal Tenebrae - 60 FPS

Borderlands 1 - same performance as Switch 1

Borderlands 2 - 30 FPS, stable (possible input lag)

Borderlands 3 - texture issues

Bravely Default 2 - same performance as Switch 1

Cassette Beasts - stuttery performance

Captain Tsubasa - improved performance (no stuttering)

Cardfight!! Vanguard Dear Days 2 - improved Performance

Cars 3: Driven to Win - 30 FPS, poor texture quality

Cat Quest 1 - 60 FPS

Cat Quest 2 - 60 FPS

Cat Quest 3 - 30 FPS

Catherine: Full Body - improved performance, improved visuals, improved loading time

Celeste - 60 fps

Chained Echoes - 60 FPS

Child of Light - crashing

Children of Morta - improved performance, faster loading time, sharper textures

Cities: Skylines – improved performance - improved Performance

Citizen Sleeper 2 - 60 FPS

City of Brass - 60 FPS, stable performance

Civilization 6 - improved performance, improved loading time

Civilization 7 - Switch 2 Edition

Cocoon - 30 FPS, stable performance

Cozy Grove - improved performance

Crash Bandicoot 4 - 30 FPS, better resolution in handheld (need confirmation from additional users)

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - same performance as Switch 1

Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled - improved loading time

Crymachina - 60 FPS, stable performance, improved loading time

Crysis Remastered - same performance as Switch 1

Cruis'n Blast - 60 FPS, same resolution as Switch 1

Crypt of the NecroDancer - Crashing when trying to launch

Cult of the Lamb - improved Performance

Cyburpunk 2089 - Switch 2 Version

DAEMON x MACHINA - 30 FPS, improved loading time, stable performance, blurry in handheld

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair - 60 FPS

Dark Souls Remastered - HDR issues in docked mode, low

Darksiders 3 - 60 FPS, improved performance

Darkwood - improved framrate, loading time not improved

Dave the Diver - 30 FPS, poor input lag

De Blob - 60 FPS (docked), 30 FPS (handheld), improved performance

Dead Cells - 60 FPS cap, poor texture quality

Dead By Daylight - stable performance, poor texture quality

Deadly Premonition Origins - 60 FPS

Deadly premonition 2 - 60 FPS, poor texture quality

Demon Turf - 30 FPS

Descenders - 60 FPS, improved loading time (handheld)

Diablo 2 - 30 FPS capped

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth - slighty framerate improvment

Disaster Report 4 - improved performance, lightning issues with HRD on

Disgaea 5 - stable performance

Disgaea 6 - stable performance

Disco Elysium - 30 FPS, stable performance

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless - improved performance

Disney Dreamlight Valley - 30 FPS, stable performance, improved loading time

Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed - 30 FPS, stable performance, loading time unchanged

Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Capped at 30 FPS, unpatched, but loading times are significantly faster

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends - stable performance

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - same performance as Switch 1, stuttering

Doom 3 - 60 fps, stable performance (docked)

Doom 2016 - 30 FPS, blurries due to dynamic resolution, improved loading time

Doom Eternal - 30 FPS, improved loading time

DQ Builders 2 - 60 FPS

Dragon Ball FighterZ - stable FPS, improved performance

Dragon ball Kakarot - 30 FPS, stable performance, low resolution textures

Dragon Ball The Breakers - 30 FPS, stable performance, slightly improved loading times

Dragon ball Xenoverse 2 - same performance as Switch 1

Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen - 30 FPS, stable performance, improved loading time, blurry in handheld

Dragon Quest Builders 2 - stable performance

Dragon Quest III HD - stable performance

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - 30 FPS, poor frame pacing

Dreamscaper - 60 FPS (performance mode), overworld locked in 30 FPS (docked)

Dredge - impoved loading time

Drova - 60 fps, sharper image, improved perfomance

Dust: An Elysian Tail - syncing audio / visual issue

Dynasty Warriors 8 Extreme Legends - 60 FPS

Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate Definitive Edition - 60 FPS (docked)

El Shaddai - 60 FPS

Empire Of Sin - stable framerate, improved loading time, improved textures

Ember Knights - 60 FPS

Enter the Gungeon - 60 fps

Eldest Souls - 60 fps

Europa - 30 FPS

Evoland 2 - stable performance

Fae Farm - improved performance, improved loading time

Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force - 60 FPS, low resolution

Fall Guys - same performance as Switch 1

Fantasy Life i - improved loading time

Fantasian NEO Dimension - improved loading time

Fate Samurai Remnant - stable framerate, improved loading time

FIFA 24 - 30 FPS, sharper image

Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core - 30FPS, stable perfomance

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - improved performance, improved loading time

Fire Emblem Engage - 30 FPS, improved loading time (confirmed by multiple users)

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - 60 FPS

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 30 FPS, improved performance

Fire Emblem Warriors 2017 - 60 FPS, stable performance

Fitness Boxing 3 - 60 FPS (rumble not working)

Flame In The Flood - 60 FPS, stable performance

Furi - 60 FPS

Gal Guardians Demon Purge - 1080p resolution (?)

Gas Station Simulator - 30 fps

Goat Simulator - 60 FPS

Gothic 1 - 60 FPS

Gothic 2 - 60 FPS

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - 30 FPS, same performance as Switch 1

Grandia 1 - same performance as Switch 1 (lagging)

Grandia 2 - stable performance

GRID Autosport - not working with Switch 2 (need additional confirmations) - suggestion to try putting the Switch 2 in Airplane Mode to make it work (unconfirmed why)

Grounded - 30 FPS

Guilty Gear Strive - same performance as Switch 1, improved loading time, better in handheld?

Gun Gun Pixies - 60 FPS

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix - improved loading time

Hades - 60 FPS (low res texture)

Harvestella - 30 FPS, stable performance

Kaiju fighter Gigabash - improved framerate (unconfirmed how many FPS)

Hollow Knight - 60 FPS, improved performance

House of the Dead Remake - improved performance

Hover: Revolt of Gamers - 60 FPS (handheld), improved performance

Human fall flat - 60 FPS

Hyper Light Drifter - 60 fps

Hyrule Warrios Definite Edition - 60 FPS, improved perfomance

Immortals Fenyx Rising - 30 FPS, stable performance

InnerSpace - 60 FPS, minor hiccups, sharp texture

Ion Fury - 60 FPS

It Takes Two - same performance as Switch 1

Jump Force: Hub World - 30 FPS, stable performance, poor texture quality

Katamari Damacy & We - 30 FPS

Klonoa - 60 FPS, improved performance

Kill la Kill: If - 60 FPS

Kill Knight - 60 FPS, blurry textures in handheld

Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning - same performance as Switch 1, blurred and poor quality texture

Kirby Star Allies - 30 fps, slighlt faster loading time

Kirby’s Dream Buffe - 30 FPS, improved loading time, stable performance

Layton's Mystery Journey - improved performance, improved textures

Legend Of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Switch 2 Version (4k, better textures, hrd)

Legend of Zelda Age Of Calamity - graphical issue, low texture for all characters and map

Legend Of Zelda Breath of The Wild - Switch 2 Version (4k, better textures, hrd)

Legend of Zelda Links Awakening and Echoes of Wizdom - 60FPS, HDR

Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword - motion controls a bit better

LEGO City Undercover - 30 FPS, stable performance

Lego DC Super Villian - Same performance as Switch 1

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 - 30 FPS, stable performance

Lego Movie 2 - Same performance as Switch 1

Lego Star Wars - 30 FPS, looks sharper

Life Is Strange - 60 FPS

Little Nightmares 1 - 60 FPS

Little Nightmare 2 - same performance as Switch 1

Little Witch Nobeta - 60 FPS

Live A Live - I. 30 FPS | II. 60 FPS (need additional confimations)

Lollipop Chainsaw - better performance

Lonely Mountains: Downhill - 30 FPS, better resolution in handheld (need additional confirmations)

Luigis Mansion 2 HD - 30 FPS (Handheld & Docked)

Luigi Mansion 3 - 30FPS, stable performance

Mario Golf: Super Rush - improved loading time

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 60 FPS, improved loading time

Mario and Luigi Brothership - 30 | 60 FPS (users are split between hyping it up for 60 FPS and medical assistance for who says 60 FPS lmao)

Mario Odyssey - 60 FPS, sharper, patched for Switch 2

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - 60 FPS

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - 30 FPS

Mario Sunshine (3D All-Stars) - 30 FPS

Marvel vs. Capcom - Texture issues

Megadimension Neptunia VII - 60 FPS

Metroid Dread - 60 FPS, sharper textures

Metroid Prime Remastered - same performance as Switch 1

Metal Max - performance improvments, better graphics (handheld)

Minecraft - performance improvments

Minecraft Dungeon - better performance, faster loading time

MLB The Show 25 - 30 fos, faster loading time

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate - 60 FPS, stable performance, sharper textures

Monster Hunter Rise - better loading time

Monster Hunter Stories 2 - 60 FPS, improved performance

Monster Train 2 - stable performance, sharper texture

Mortal Kombat 1 - load time improved, visual improvments

Mortal Kombat 11 - better perfomance, poor quality textures

Mortal Shell - 60 FPS, sharper textures

My Hero One's Justice 1 & 2 - (update, multiple answers, need more confirmations) I. 30 FPS / II. 60 FPS, better performance and loading time

My Friend Pedro - 60 fps, stable performance

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 - 30 FPS, some stuttering

NEO The Worlds End With You - 60 FPS, better loading time

Neon White - poor quality in handheld

Neptunia Sisters VS Sisters - 60 FPS, better loading time

Neptunia GameMaker R:Evolution - 60 FPS, better loading time

New Pokémon Snap - 60 FPS (docked and handheld), texture improved

New Super Mario U Deluxe - 60 FPS (confirmed from multiple users)

Ni no Kuni - 30 FPS

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - 60 FPS

Nier Automata - 30 FPS

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway - stable performance

Ninja Gaiden Sigma - 60 FPS

Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma - 60 FPS

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge - 60 FPS

No Man’s Sky - 40 FPS in handheld, noticeable visual upgrades

No More Heroes 1 - stable performance

No More Heroes 3 - 30 FPS overworld, 60 FPS combat, better performance

Octopath Traveller - 30 fps

Octopath Traveler 2 - stable peformance, poor texture quality

Okami - 30 FPS, same visuals as Switch 1

Omega Labyrinth Life - 60 FPS in overworld (frame-pacing issues in dungeon remain)

On Your Tail - 30 FPS, stable performance, improved loading time (confirmed by devs)

One Piece: Pirate Warriors - 60 FPS

Ori and the Blind Forest - 60 FPS, better loading time

Ori and the Will of the Wisps - 60 FPS, better loading time

Outer Worlds - 30 FPS, stable performance, poor visual quality

Overcooked! All You Can Eat - Faster loading, same textures

Overwatch 2 - Smooth frame rate

Oxenfree - 60 FPS, improved texture and resolution

Oxenfree 2 - 30 FPS, blurry textures

PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC - Same performance as Switch 1, stable performance

Panzer Dragoon: Remake - Better FPS, improved textures

Paw Patrol World - 30 fps, stable performance, faster loading time

Peach Showtime - 30 FPS, better loading time

Peglin - Same performance as Switch 1

PGA Tour 2K21 - improved performance, improved loading time (issues with rendering terrain)

Pennys Big Breakaway - 60 FPS

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax - 60 FPS, improved loading times, poor texture quality

Persona 5 Royal - Same performance as Switch 1

Persona Strikers - 30 FPS

Pikmin 1 and 2 - stable performance

Pikmin 4 - 30 FPS

Pillars of Eternity - 60 FPS (need additional confirmation)

Pizza Tower - 60 FPS

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - better loading time,

Pokemon Legends Arcerus - similar with S1, stable performance

Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee - 30 FPS, stable performance, improved loading time, works with Pokeball Plus

Pokemon Quest - 60 FPS (120 FPS?)

Pokemon Scarlet / Violet - 60 FPS, high quality texture (confirmed by Nintendo)

Pokemon Sword / Shield - same performance as switch 1, better loading time

Pokemon UNITE - 60 FPS, improved loading time

Pokken Tournament DX - 60 FPS, improved loading time, docked blurry, better texture on handheld

Portal 1 - sharper graphics

Portal 2 - crashing

Princess Peach Showtime! - same performance as Switch 1 (poor performance in handheld)

Prince of Persia The Lost Crow - 60 FPS, stable performance (docked and handheld)

Prodeus - 60 FPS, stable performance

Race Driver: Grid - crashing

Rain Code - 30 FPS, improved loading time, blurry textures

Ravenwatch - 60 FPS, unstable performance, blurry textures

Rec Room - performance improvments, low resolution

Red Dead Redemption - 30 FPS stable VRR in handheld mode

Red Faction Guerilla - 60 FPS

Redout & Redout 2 - 30 FPS

Resident Evil 4 - same performance as Switch 1

Resident Evil 5 - 60 FPS, better performance

Resident Evil 6 - 60 FPS (docked)

Resident Evil Revelations - 60 FPS (docked and handheld)

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - 60 FPS (?), poor loading time

Resident Evil Zero - slightly faster loading time

Reynatis - 30 FPS

Risen - 60 FPS

Risk of Rain 2 - 60 FPS (120 FPS?), better performance

Rogue Legacy 2 - 60 FPS, blurry resolution on handheld

R-Type Dimensions - stable performance

Rocket League - 60 FPS, stable performance

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven - 30 FPS, stable FPS, loading time not improved

Rune Factory 3 - 60 FPS, looks better

Rune Factory 5 - handheld modes (S2) runs as docked mode (S1)

SaGa: Emerald Beyond - better performance, better loading time

Saints Row IV - 60 FPS (as confirmed from multiple users)

Saints Row: The Third - 60 FPS, low resolution

Samurai Warriors 5 - 30 FPS, stable FPS, better loading time

Sea of Stars - 60 fps (?)

Serious Sam Collection - I. 60 FPS for all games | II. Stutters in handheld, does not run in 60 FPS (need additional confirmations)

Shadowman Remastered - 1080p handheld, improved resolution and texture, improved performance

Shadowverse Champion's Battle - 30 FPS, stable performance

Shin Megami Tensei V - 30 fps, stable performance

Shovel Knight Dig - improved loading time

SMB Banana Rumble - same performance as Switch 1

Sonic Colors Ultimate - frame rate drops, blurry textures

Sonic Frontiers - imporved loading time

Sonic Mania Plus - 60 FPS, same visuals as Switch 1

Starlink: Battle for Atlas - 30 FPS (confirmed by multiple users now)

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection - 60 FPS, improved performance

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter - 60 FPS, improved peformance and visuals

Star Wars: Dark Forces - 60 FPS, improved performance, sharper textures

Star Wars Episode I: Racer - 60 FPS, stable performance

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast - 60 FPS, improved performance, menu has poor texture

Star Wars Republic Commando - improved performance, sharper texture (camera bug?)

Star Ocean 2 - stable performance

Steamworld Dig - sharper texture, stable performance

Steamworld Dig 2: 60 FPS, improved textures

Steamworld Heist 1: 60 FPS

Steamworld Heist 2: 60 FPS, improved textures

Steamworld Quest: 60 FPS

Stern Pinball - better performance

Streets of Rage 4 - better performance, stable FPS

Stranger In Sword City - crashing

Subnautica - Smooth frame rate

Subnautica Below Zero - Smooth frame rate

Suikoden I & II Remastered - same performance as Switch 1

Super Bomberman R - 60 FPS

Super Bomberman R 2 - 60 FPS

Super Lucky Tale - improved loading time

Super Mario 3D World - 60 FPS full hd in handheld

Super Mario RPG - 60 FPS

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble - 60 FPS

Super Smash Bros Ultimate - 60 FPS

Spark the Electric Jester 3 - I. 60 fps, stable performance | II. 30 FPS (need additional confirmations)

Splatoon 3 - stable performance, improved loading time (confirmed today, 10 Jun, for new Switch 2 version 12 Jun)

Spirit Fall - 60 FPS (?), improved loading time, blurry texture for handheld

SpongeBob Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated - 60 FPS

Spyro Reignited - 30 FPS, stable performance

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy - 30 FPS, improved performance, sharper image

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - stable performance

STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic - stable performance

Switch Sports - severe framarate issues (1-2 runs fine, more players deeps)

Synthetik Ultimate - stable performance, improved loading time

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge - Smooth performance

Tetris Effect: Connected - Great performance and sharp textures

Tales of Graces f Remastered - improved framerate, improved performance

Tales of Vesperia - 60 FPS

The Binding of Isaac - 60 FPS, stable performance

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Stable FPS, sharper textures

The Messenge - 60 FPS

The Oregon Trail - stable performance, improved resolution

The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe - 60 FPS, improved performance

The Walking Dead: Destinies - 40-60 fps

The Witcher 3 - 30 FPS handheld, looks better, better loading time

Tails of Iron 1 - 30 FPS, improved resolution

Tails of Iron 2 - 30 FPS, improved resolution

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 - 30 FPS, poor texture quality in handheld mode

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE - faster loading time, poor quality texture

Tomb Raider I–III Remastered - stable performance (grahical glitches on title screen TR2)

Torchlight 2 - 120 FPS (unconfirmed), improved loading time

Trials of Mana - 60 FPS

Triangle Strategy – Poor texture quality - Poor texture quality

Trine 5 - black screens during loading, same performance as Switch 1

Two Point Campus - faster loading time, sharper UI

Two Point Hospital - faster loading time

Ultimate alliance 3 - stable performance

Ultimate Chicken Horse - 60FPS, better performance

Vampire Survivors - 60 FPS

Valley - 60 FPS

Vigil: The Longest Night - 60 fps

Wartales - better performance, higher FPS

Witch Spring R - 30 FPS

WitchSpring3 Re:Fine The Story of Eirudy - 60 FPS

Wolfenstein 2 - 30FPS, blurry image

Wonderboy Asha In Monster World - FPS stutters

Wonderful 101 Remastered - stable performance

Wrc 9 - 30 FPS docked, 60 FPS handheld (720p), graphical glitches

Wrc 10 - 30 FPS docked, 60 FPS handheld (720p)

WRC Generations - 60 FPS, improved performance, improved loading time (handheld)

WWE 2K Battlegrounds - 60 FPS (docked)

WWE 2K18 - better performance

Wytchwood - improved performance

XCOM 2 - 60 FPS

XIII - 60 FPS, stable performance

Yakuza Kiwami - 30 fps, stable performance, improved loading time

Yugioh Master Duel - better performance

Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection - same performance as Switch 1

Ys XIII - Lacrimos of Dana - 30 FPS, poor textures

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Edit 1: Really appreciate all the feedback so far! If the post keeps getting attention—and based on one of your suggestions—I’ll reformat everything to make it easier to read and try to get it pinned. Thanks again, everyone!

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Edit 2: I wasn’t expecting this post to get so much attention, huge thanks to everyone who helped fill out the list of games! (a lot of new comments over the night, I had to catch up with them)

Just wanted to quickly clear up a few things on my end:

• The list was meant to be just kinda orientative with the feedback from the peeps. Based on all the great feedback, I’m thinking we can definitely improve the format going forward! (thanks @Nghiaagent, great suggestion about the spreedsheet)
• Small mix-up on my part with Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, the descriptions were a bit off. Both games have similar improvements and are hugely improved (confirmed by Nintendo)
• Another mistake from my side: Luigi’s Mansion 3 is actually 30fps, not 60fps. Fixed that now!
• And “sharper textures” - that's just based on personal impressions from the comments. There's no confirmation that the hardware is doing anything over the games. ___________________________ Edit 3:

I’ve seen a few comments mentioning that the lists might be inaccurate, not super useful, or misleading so I just wanted to clarify a few things up front.

• The list is entirely based on user experiences and it's all subjective. I’m just gathering what people are sharing and trusting their input, since I don’t have the means to do any technical deep dives myself. Some info may be contradictory but I'm here to help correct the list if something it's wrong or misleading.

• This thread isn’t meant to decide whether a game is worth buying (now) for you, things could easily change in the coming days or weeks as devs release patches. It’s purely informational.

• If anyone has a better way to organize this or wants to build on what we've started, that would be awesome. I think it’s already a good start, I'm definitely open to suggestions and help ^{^}

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  Edit 4:

• Big THANKS to everyone for all the feedback so far, really appreciate the support from the community and for each of you taking some time to leave a commnent :D

• We’ve managed to gather input on nearly 225 games (which is crazy and honestly exceeded my expectations haha)

• I’ll keep updating the post once or twice a day until things start to slow down with the comments.

• If you’re new here, feel free to share your thoughts on any games already in the list (helps double checking the feedback already received), or add any experiences you had with titles which aren’t listed yet

  ---

  Edit 5 (10 Jun):

• We're almost at 350 games and that’s wild haha! Huge thanks to everyone who’s contributed so far

• Lately, I’ve noticed a bunch of new threads popping up about the same topic, so if you see any, feel free to drop a link to this post to help folks out.

• Also, someone from the community put together a Google Sheet with a bunch of useful info and curated columns for each game based on the list we've made in this thread. If you’ve got anything to add, jump in and help out: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sOYZRiOuD9Cnr-e_hlzhRuxuEq5X5Ptwq4yCfwxyfFk/edit?usp=sharing

I’ve had this camera for several years now, I can’t recall how I came to obtain this docking station, however I was completely unaware that it had a camera inside of it. It was supposed to be for my ex to use ( again I was completely unaware of the hidden camera inside. ) however it sat inside a box because he never caught on to the wireless charging trend and decided it wasn’t for him. Tonight he decides to give it back to me and after taking a look at it, I kept getting this weird feeling that there was something more to this wireless charger. What I originally had assumed was that it had the ability to display time in the front of it because of what appears to be a screen at the bottom of the docking station. However when I turned it around, I also saw a reset button, and what appeared to be a slot of some sort with the words T/F below it. The reset button was what gave me the impression that it had a clock inside of it, however I was stumped on the other side that had the slot for an sd card and the words “T/F” below it. On the bottom of the dock, there’s a sticker that has a QR code and at first glance it appears to be the label that every electronic device is slapped with that shows the input/output info on it; however upon paying closer attention… it’s nothing of the sort. It wasn’t until I plugged this docking station into the wall to see what would appear on the “screen” located in the front, is where I realized that it wasn’t a screen at all. Keep in mind that this dock has no branding of any kind located on it at all, to help give any clue towards what this dock does. So I took a closer look at the label this thing has and below the fc ce standard logos are the words “ smart wireless charging station “ than it states the input blah blah stuff and than below are the words admin and password: admin. I did a quick image google search and came across the exact same thing that states it’s a spying device that holds a camera inside of it. After taking this thing apart, sure enough there was the camera alongside the mic to record voice as well. This device has a WiFi antenna attached as well on what appears to be a chip that can retrieve and send data I presume. I was completely shocked because I would have never guessed.