Justin Kahn

At today’s gamescom opening Night Live 2025, Activision announced the official release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Anyone who has followed our coverage of the leak that already surfaced won’t be in for any surprises here. 

The official 2025 gamescom Opening Night Live is about to do just that to kick off the world’s biggest gaming convention of the season straight from Cologne, Germany. While the actual show floor isn’t open to the public until tomorrow, the festivities actually get going tonight with the massive 2-hour long livestream showcase set to be packed to the brim with game reveals and updated looks at some of the biggest upcoming titles. 

Spigen, as you likely already know, is a brand perhaps best known for its iPhone and smartphone cases, but its lifestyle products are also quite popular around here. Products like its $20 Titanium Keychain Pocket Knife and its Magnetic Keychain Key Holder have drawn quite a bit of attention among readers, and we just spotted a stealthy release of its sweet-looking new Tumbler Carrier. Check it out below. 

While it seemed like we were going to have to wait until the usual September slot for the next big Nintendo Direct, today is the day folks. After seeing two Nintendo livestream presentations in as many weeks with IndieWorld and the Partner Showcase, Nintendo did not make us wait all that long for its next big presentation, and this time it’s all about Kirby Air Riders. 

Nintendo has now officially announced the next Nintendo Direct. As part of an update that just landed on the official Nintendo Today! app, and likely to surface everywhere else momentarily, the Mario maker has confirmed another Nintendo Direct showcase for this week, and it’s all about the new Kirby Air Riders! 

Update: Pre-orders are now live – Best Google Pixel 10/Pro pre-order deals: $200 in FREE Amazon credit, up to $350 on 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, more

We are now over 2-days out from this year’s Made by Google event where we will get our first official reveal for the new Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, among others. While you can certainly already get a good look and a ton of details on the new slate of Pixel devices set to take center stage later this week over at 9to5Google, we wanted to highlight the exclusive offer the Google Store is offering folks ahead of the official reveal on Wednesday. 

That’s a wrap for the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, but The Pokémon Company did have a series of new announcements and reveals for the closing ceremonies this year. CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara took to the stage with updates on everything from Pokémon GO and Pokémon TCG to the upcoming Pokémon Champions and Pokémon Legends: Z-A ahead of its release on Switch and Switch 2 in roughly two months time. 

Welcome to 9to5Toys News Weekly – your go-to spot to catch up on the latest new product releases, features, and hands-on reviews. This weekly roundup collects all of the coolest new gadgets, the most interesting updates in the world of tech, and more from the past week, and organizes it into a single handy reading list for you to sift through every Sunday morning.

The next big Switch 2 game release lands later this month with the updated version of Kirby on the Forgotten Land, but it’s the other Kirby game many of us are waiting on – the actual new Switch 2 exclusive Kirby game. There’s really only a few truly Switch 2 exclusive games left that are slated for 2025, and Kirby Air Riders is the only one we still know almost nothing about. 

Your annual Call of Duty leak has arrived – it appears the Black Ops 7’s official release date and launch platforms have surfaced alongside details on when you’ll get to see the game in action next. 

Today’s short and sweet list of iOS game and app deals is loaded with top-tier titles, from Iron Marines Invasion and Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance to Crying Suns, and a rare deal on Super Farming Boy. Those offers also join a host of notable hardware discounts including up to $149 off Apple Watch Series 10 just after Apple announced the Blood Oxygen feature is making a return in the U.S. as well as AirPods 4 starting from $80, a $300 price drop on Apple’s 1TB 14-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro, and a rare discount on this 1TB M4 Mac mini at $100 off. Head below for a closer look at all oof today’s best app deals. 

What will the next Switch 2 GameCube release be? And when do we expect it to arrive? Nintendo just officially announced the August Switch 2 GameCube release with the quirky but largely underrated Chibi-Robo! – it was a game we expected to land in the Switch 2 GameCube library at some point, and we now know it will do so next week. But what’s next?

The relatively recently revealed and particularly compelling look new LEGO Voyagers game is getting a new trailer today. And more specifically, a release date trailer – the game is now just over a month out from release. 

Everyone hoped Donkey Kong’s arch nemesis King K. Rool would make a triumphant return in the new DK Bananza, and you go it. And, after the release of the new Donkey Kong  and Pauline amiibo, Nintendo has decided to issue a re-release of the King K. Rool amiibo in celebration – you can pre-order it right now. 

Resident Evil: Requiem has been one of the more popular reveals of the summer around here, and we now know when you’ll get another good look at the game. While it isn’t schedule to actually hit store shelves until early next year, one of the more highly-anticipated titles of 2026 is set to take center stage once again, and very soon at that. 

The official new Nike LEGO Dunk Lows have arrived, plus a whole lot more. After Nike and LEGO announced an official partnership, the first new building set landed in the form of a brick-built Nike Dunk back in late May. Fast forward to today and the two behemoths have now announced what’s next –  the Nike Slam Dunk x LEGO Set (43010) and the Nike Dunk Trickshot x LEGO Set (43021) – alongside a host of LEGO-themed Nike apparel. Get a closer look down below. 

The Beats Solo 4 on-ear headphones are now $100 off at Amazon, including all of the colors it offers. Regularly $200, you’re looking at a straight up 50% price drop here on the brand’s latest on-ear releases in Matte Black, Black/Gold, Cloud Pink, and Slate Blue down at $99.95 shipped. Details below. 

Welcome to 9to5Toys News Weekly – your go-to spot to catch up on the latest new product releases, features, and hands-on reviews. This weekly roundup collects all of the coolest new gadgets, the most interesting updates in the world of tech, and more from the past week, and organizes it into a single handy reading list for you to sift through every Sunday morning. Today’s collection is starting with a last shot at the massive Apple week sale event that will (mostly) end this evening alongside some hands-on reviews, the new My Mario 3D wood block amiibo sets, the leaked Xbox Ally and Ally X handheld release date, LEGO’s 2025 Advent Calendars, and the “world’s fastest OLED monitor,” but that’s just for starters.

Market analysts warned us ahead of launch that it would happen, Nintendo just officially increased the price on Switch hardware and Switch 2 accessories (again) in the U.S., and it seems it’s only a matter of time before Switch 2 console prices go up too. The new systems and bundles launched at a list much higher than last generation, but, judging by the way things are going, it’s might be going up from there, and it could be as soon as this year – if you don’t have one yet, now might be the time to strike. 

Burton Goods recently unleashed a series of new leather accessories with its latest lineup of wallets, card holders, and the passport model, but it also released the gorgeous new Leather Techfolio Cord Organizer as well. What quite possibly might be the prettiest new way to tame your tech accessories on-the-go or at home has arrived in the 9to5toys offices, and we have now put it to the test. 

I came way feeling pretty good about the recent Indie World showcase, but mostly just because of the Mina the Hollower confirmation and the subsequent FREE demo you can play right now. Others, not to so much – Hollow Knight: Silksong did not make an appearance, because of course it didn’t, but it will be making an official appearance at the Switch 2 gamescom booth in Germany later this month, according to one of Nintendo’s EU X accounts. 

Way back before the Switch 2 was even made official earlier this year, folks spotted patents that uncovered the mouse mode that indeed came to fruition. And now, recently spotted and newly filed Nintendo patents are suggesting some additional Switch 2 Joy-Con functionality could be on the way. 

Not long after gracing the word with its next-generation Switch 2 hardware, some new Nintendo toys are inbound. Nintendo is officially releasing a new platform of sorts known as “My Mario.” Consisting of a range of new toys and products, including a FREE interactive app for iOS, Android, and Switch, the particularly sweet-looking 3D Mario wood block sets, and a “Hello Mario!” Board Book, it is all set to begin releasing in Japan this month with an early 2026 launch slated elsewhere. 

Late last month Twelve South released its latest charging accessory – the PowerBug. The wall charger-meets-MagSafe mount is following a few different hybrid charging and tech accessories we have seen releasing over the last year and we have been testing it out for a few weeks now to see if it’s any good, or useful. 

Nintendo’s Indie World showcase went live this morning with short but (mostly) sweet look at some interesting new indie titles coming to Switch and Switch 2 this year and next. But some of the games on display in today’s live stream actually released today, and one of the titles I’m personally most excited about actually dropped a FREE demo ahead of launch this fall. 

One of the standout announcements of today’s Nintendo Indie World showcase for me, and plenty of other folks, was the new Mina the Hollower trailer, its Switch 2 release date, and the FREE demo you can now play on Switch and Switch 2. 

What will Nintendo show in today’s Indie World Direct? When does the next Direct go live? And where to watch today’s Indie World showcase? We, of course, don’t know for sure, the next “Direct” is today – it’s an indie game showcase, and you can watch it right here starting very soon at 9 a.m. ET. Details below. 

Yesterday Nintendo made it official – we are getting our second Direct show case in as many weeks and this time it’s going to be all about the indies. While it might not be the first big-time traditional Direct showcase of the Switch 2 era we are all waiting on, the next Indie World Direct is another chance for Nintendo to show off some notable experiences coming to Switch 2 outside of the big-time first-party releases we are anticipating, and it’s time to take a look at what we expect to see, what we are hoping to see, and what games will actually make tomorrow’s Indie World a success. 

The 2025 LEGO Advent Calendars are finally up for pre-order. This year’s lineup has been known for some time, but they are now finally available for purchase directly from LEGO ahead of release on September 1 – don’t expect them to last for very long as they tend to sell out quite quickly. 

Just after hosting its first major Direct Partner Showcase of the Switch 2 era, Nintendo has now officially announced when the next IndieWorld Showcase will go live. The livestream is set to give us a look at what’s next for Switch 1 and Switch 2 from the indie side of things and it goes live this week. 

Nintendo has recently issued an official statement via one of its Japanese X account warning users of potential Switch 2 overheating and crashing issues with summer temperatures expected to hit all-time highs in select regions. 

Welcome to 9to5Toys News Weekly – your go-to spot to catch up on the latest new product releases, features, and hands-on reviews. This weekly roundup collects all of the coolest new gadgets, the most interesting updates in the world of tech, and more from the past week, and organizes it into a single handy reading list for you to sift through every Sunday morning.

Nintendo has now announced price hikes on Switch hardware in the U.S. After it did as much in other regions, I guess it was only a matter of time before it hit home, and that is today…or August 3, 2025 rather when the prices will officially rise stateside. 

Friday’s Apple deals are shaping up to be some of the more rare offers we have tracked as of late, and next-up is the black Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. Apple’s Magic Keyboards, especially the current-generation models, don’t see many notable price drops in general, and today’s deal on the latest black full-size deck is effectively the second chance to save on Amazon – you can now score one down at $179.25 shipped. Details below. 

Nintendo has officially released its latest quarterly earnings report, further highlighting the massive uptick in sales garnered by Switch 2 – the fastest-selling console in U.S. history. YoY earnings for the Mario maker are (mostly) up across the board because of the nearly 6 million Switch units sold in the first quarter and nearly as many copies of its new open-world Mario Kart experience. But none of this comes as much to surprise to just about anyone at this point, and subsequently isn’t all that interesting to anyone but stock holders – Nintendo did however once again confirm the 2025 release date windows for some major upcoming titles. 

Nintendo’s new GameCube library for Switch Online members was one of the more pleasing and maybe even surprising elements to the Switch 2 launch. It’s not perfect, there aren’t a ton of games yet, and Nintendo did decide to lock out Switch 1 consoles all together, however it is a nice way to bolster the launch lineup for its new console and provide some “new” classic experiences for nostalgic gamers or folks that weren’t around for the GameCube days. But what will be the next game added to the Switch Online GameCube library? 

Nintendo Direct July edition went live this morning with the latest Partner Showcase to highlight a long list of upcoming Switch 2 games. Some are landing this year, some next, some already have free demos up right now, and some you can pre-order with a deal like the new SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance. Head below for a closer look at everything.

Today we are taking a look at an alternative to the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and a far more affordable option. The official Switch 2 Pro Controller has been a hit thus far, and one of the most popular Switch 2 peripherals to hit the market yet. While that’s not particularly surprising, there are some compelling lower-cost alternatives out there you don’t have to pay $85 for, and this new $30 GuliKit gamepad that can wake the Switch 2 is one of them. 

This morning’s long-awaited Nintendo Direct has aired, and it certainly was not what just about anyone was expecting. Not only was it a Partner Showcase, we also did not see almost any of the major third-party games that were rumored to be coming to Switch 2 – there were a couple, just not any of the big hitters. One shining light in the otherwise mostly mediocre showing was the new Square Enix RPGs that capped off the show – Octapath Traveler 0 and the all-new IP, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. The latter of which now has a FREE demo you can download on Switch 2 to give it a try before launch. 

Nintendo Direct goes live today with the first major Partner Showcase of the Switch 2 generation, and you can watch it down below. There have been rumors abound for months on end for upcoming Microsoft Xbox titles coming to the platform, plenty of Ubisoft games, and chances are we will get some updates on those here today. Release dates for already confirmed Switch 2 ports like Elden Ring and the FF VII remake seem likely and we have heard word of Metaphor: ReFantazio and Death Stranding: Director’s Cut ports as well. But enough with the speculation (for now), as the show is set to go live very soon!

As July draws to an end and just ahead of this morning’s Nintendo Direct, let’s take a quick rundown of the biggest Switch 2 games set for release. While the (pre-recorded) livestream Partner Showcase set to go live at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET might very well deliver some news on additional third-party titles landing in for Switch 2 in August 2025, there are a decent selection of first- and third-party games that have already been locked down for the August release schedule, so let’s check them all out down below. 

Just after featuring its gorgeous new Techfolio cable organizer case with a notable launch deal yesterday, Burton Goods has also expanded its leather accessory lineup with some new wallets as well. A wonderful-looking new Slim Passport Leather Wallet joins a couple of new bifold models and some of them can be had during the launch phase at 20% off. Get a closer look below. 

Nintendo has finally gone official with long-awaited and much anticipated July Nintendo Direct. The livestream will mark the first proper Direct since Switch 2 launched, outside of the dedicated shows we have already got for the system’s two biggest launch titles, but we can’t help but be mildly skeptical/disappointed with what we know so far regarding tomorrow’s show – it is a Partner showcase after all. 

If you happened to pick up a new set of AirPods 4 during the particularly notable Prime Day deals we featured, or perhaps last holiday season, one of our favorite leather accessory makers just quietly launched a brand new case you might want to check out too. The Nomad Modern Leather Case was already available for AirPods Pro 2, but it is now up for grabs for your AirPods 4 case at $29. Get a closer look below.