Justin Kahn

We are getting another retro game remake this summer by way of the upcoming Alex Kidd in Miracle World re-release. The classic Master System game is in the process of being remade from the ground up for modern-day consoles and PCs by the folks at both Merge Games and Jankenteam (in collaboration with SEGA), and is now expected to hit digital store shelves in about two month’s time. Head below for more details and the launch date reveal trailer. 

A new Pac-Man battle royale game known as Pac-Man 99 is releasing on Switch today. In what appeared to be a surprise announcement on its Twitter feed yesterday night, Nintendo of America announced that “PAC-MAN is back in a new 99-PAC-MAN battle royale!” The new multiplayer take on the classic is not only a Nintendo exclusive, but also only available to Switch Online members and will go live later today. Head below for more details and the debut trailer. 

You’re reading Tested with 9to5Toys, where we explore everyday tech essentials that make life a bit easier. Browse through our entire guide for all of the latest reviews, and sound off in the comments below if there’s something you’d like to see featured.

After taking a look at the brand’s latest MacBook sleeve, we are now diving into the Bellroy Tech Kit. The latest entry in its gear accessory organizer lineup features the same antimicrobial tech found on the MacBook sleeve alongside providing a home for all of your chargers, cables, power banks, and more. In today’s Tested with 9to5Toys we are taking the Bellroy Tech kit for a hands-on spin to see if it’s worth the price of entry. All of the details are down below. 

Will there be an E3 2021? Or will it just get canceled like last year and devolve into a series of disparate digital events? These are the questions many gamers are starting to think about as we begin to move toward the summer. But as of right now, it appears there will indeed be an E3 2021 kicking off in June according to recent reports. After COVID-19 left gamers with an unorganized mess of gaming events and reveals last summer, the Entertainment Software Association has now officially announced a totally free  digital event that, thus far, will see all of the major players participating. Head below for more details. 

Today we are taking a look at the latest Rode USB-C mic for Android smartphones and compatible Apple gear. The Rode VideoMic Me-C, initially unveiled as part of Rode’s larger Vlogger Kit range, is now being sold as a standalone product for Android users not interested in the entire bundle. It is also the first time the range of gear will directly support USB-C-equipped Android devices (as well as anything from Apple with that connection). Head below for a closer look at the now available Rode USB-C mic for Android. 

A series of new Justice League Zack Snyder Cut Funko POP! figures have now been unleashed. Full-color versions of the Darkseid, Diana Prince, Black Suit Superman, and Dasaad that hit last month as part of special promotion for the re-cut film are going up for general release and are now available to pre-order. Originally released in a sort of “Justice is Gray” black-and-white metallic paint job with very limited availability, it looks like the rest of the DC Comics Snyder cut fans will be able to get in on the action now. Head below for a closer look. 

Some of the latest PowerA Xbox Series X controllers are now up for pre-order. Last September, PowerA initially launched its first accessories specifically tailored for Microsoft’s latest-generation home console, and we are starting to see the expanded Enhanced Wired Controller lineup go up for sale at Amazon and elsewhere. Head below for a closer look. 

We now have an exclusive 30% off all of the Casely iPhone 12 cases, MagSafe gear, AirPods accessories, and more for 9to5 readers. Featuring a wide range of colorful designs and unique patterns, Casely makes loads of bold and interesting covers to grace the outside of your precious iPhone and Apple gear. It is a great option for folks looking for something that stands out from the sea of dark colorways and flat paint jobs most manufacturers sell. And everything just got a whole lot more affordable with today’s exclusive discount code. Head below for more details. 

Microsoft has announced an interesting expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming today. It is “embarking on a new journey” for Xbox backwards compatibility by “taking it to the cloud.” Over on the official Xbox Wire, Microsoft has announced that it is bringing a collection of its older backwards compatible titles to Xbox Cloud Gaming, all of which are playable on Android phones and tablets. Head below for more details and a complete look at the first wave of games. 

Today we are taking a look at the new Twelve South MagicBridge Extended. Twelve South — one of our favorite Apple gear accessory makers — is out with a new extended MagicBridge today to combine your full-size Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2 into one integrated unit. While the standard MagicBridge has been around for a while, the new MagicBridge Extended variant is releasing today to accomodate the over-sized Apple Magic Keyboard with the numeric keypad hanging off one side. Head below for a closer look. 

Today we are taking a look at the new NutriBullet Immersion Blender. We regularly feature the brand’s smoothie blenders like the Magic Bullet around here, but the company is now stepping into the hand immersion space with its latest release. Designed to be used on everything from “pancake batter and smoothies to soups, salad dressings, and even ice cream,” all of you pro home chefs will at least want to take a quick look at today’s new NutriBullet blender. Head below for all of the details. 

Back in January during CES 2021, we featured a concept Razer face mask, complete with RGB lighting, N95 filtration, and more. Simply known as Project Hazel at the time, it appeared as though it was going to remain in the concept phase indefinitely — until now. Once just an interesting idea, the high-tech Razer face mask now appears as though it will indeed go into production and up for sale thereafter. Head below for more details on Project Hazel, “the world’s smartest mask.”

Last year we featured those adorable TUBBZ gaming collectibles, and we are now seeing the Sonic The Hedgehog range up for pre-order, alongside some others. The Numskull TUBBZ gaming collectibles are essentially miniature rubber duckies cosplaying as your favorite gaming characters, not unlike the popular Funko POP! vinyl collectibles, just in duck form. Head below for a closer look at the Sonic The Hedgehog TUBBZ, and to lock-in your pre-order. 

Microsoft is announcing new Xbox wireless controllers today with upcoming Electric Volt and Daystrike Camo Special Edition models. After seeing new-generation carbon black, robot white, and shock blue models hit alongside Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft hit us with a Pulse Red model back in January (now available for purchase). But the collection is expanding today with a vibrant Volt colorway and camouflaged red variant. Head below for a closer look. 

We now have the official gameplay trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes game. Currently in development at Frogware studios in Ireland, we are getting our first good look at gameplay in today’s trailer as well as some light details on the story and setting. Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, as it is officially known, is set for a 2021 release on PC and both current and previous-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. Head below for a closer look. 

Following in the footsteps of its similar Xbox gamepad, PowerA is now introducing its version of a Switch Elite controller known as the FUSION Pro Wireless. Continuing its domination of the third-party Switch controller and accessory space, PowerA now has its latest Xbox Elite-style FUSION Pro Wireless controller for Nintendo Switch up for pre-order. But with all of those professional features and customization options comes quite a hefty price tag. Check out the debut trailer and get more details below. 

After rumors suggested an upcoming new Nintendo Switch console was in the works with a Samsung OLED display, new details suggest it will be supported by an NVIDIA GPU. According to a new Bloomberg report citing sources close to the matter, Nintendo has tapped NVIDIA to supply a Deep Learning Super Sampling GPU for its allegedly new Nintendo Switch console. That along with an upgraded CPU and stock memory capacity will all supposedly ready to go for holiday season 2021. Head below for more details. 

Last month, as part of its first State of Play presentation of the year, Sony dropped the first details on Final Fantasy VII Intergrade — a new version housing the upcoming expansion and the PS5 upgrade. Square Enix has now released a new nearly 6-minute trailer for Intergrade, once again highlighting the graphical improvements, quality of life enhancements, new gameplay modes, and the upcoming Yuffie expansion story arch. Running nearly double the length of the debut trailer here, there are plenty of details on what to expect when Final Fantasy VII Intergrade launches in June. Head below for a closer look. 

Developer Innersloth has now finally announced a release date for the Among Us Airship map alongside a slew of other updates and enhancements. Last year’s most downloaded mobile game has now made its way to Switch with a Game Pass release slated for this year, and now the long-awaited Airship map for the hit murder mystery game is scheduled to land at the end of this month. Head below for more details. 

Braun is teaming up with Virgil Abloh — founder of the Off-White clothing brand and current Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton — on an interesting new functional art project. Coming alongside a short film and remix track by the Off-White designer, Braun and Abloh are also reimagining the brand’s 1965 ‘Wandanlage’ hi fi audio wall unit to mark the occasion. You’ll definitely want to head below to take a quick look. 

Last month, Sony briefly introduced us to the next generation of virtual reality on its platform, and today it has revealed the new PS VR controllers. The new, hand cage-like design brings much of the DualSense PS5 controller sensibilities to the table with haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, finger touch detection, and more. Head below for a closer look. 

After seeing a brief teaser trailer courtesy of Bethesda earlier this week, DOOM Eternal Ancient Gods – Part 2 is now set for release tomorrow. The final chapter in the already announced two-part Ancient Gods expansion is now set for a surprise release on March 18, 2021. Developer iD Software took to its official Twitter page this morning to make the announcement alongside a new, nearly two-minute trailer for Ancient Gods – Part 2. Head below for a closer look and more details. 

You’re reading Tested with 9to5Toys, where we explore everyday tech essentials that make life a bit easier. Browse through our entire guide for all of the latest reviews, and sound off in the comments below if there’s something you’d like to see featured.

We previously took a hands-on look at the new Bellroy iPhone 12 lineup of cases, and today, it’s time to review the new antimicrobial MacBook sleeve. We have started to see more and more brands introduce some kind of antimicrobial tech to their lineups of Apple gear accessories, and Belloroy is doing much of the same with a new family of gear featuring Swiss-engineered HeiQ V-Block — protection for fabrics against contamination from microbes — as well as a new Basalt colorway. Hit the jump for our latest Tested with 9to5Toys.

Today we’re taking a look at Beast Health and its new B10 Blender. Colin Sapire, the founder and innovator behind NutriBullet and other “personal blending products for more than a decade,” has now broken away to start up a new wellness brand known as Beast Health. It has introduced its very first product, the B10 Blender. Combining a unique 12-rib blending vessel design alongside an interesting add-on hydration system, the Beast Health B10 is entering a crowded marketplace with an eye-catching new look and feel. Head below for more details and a closer look. 

The brand new 8Bitdo Pro 2 Controller is now available for purchase. A sort of follow-up to the popular SN30 Pro+ original model that landed in 2019, the new controller supports Switch, PC, macOS, Android, Steam, and Raspberry Pi with a series of enhancements over its predecessor while retaining what made the 8Bitdo Pro so sought after in the first place. Head below for more details and a closer look. 

M-Audio is unveiling its new weighted keyboard controller known as the Hammer 88 Pro. As the name suggests, it is the pro-version follow-up to its already feature-rich Hammer 88 model with a focus on “musicians everywhere that want real piano feel.” It combines a real piano-feel key bed with what M-Audio refers to as auto-mapping and an OLED display. Anyone looking to bring a hardcore MIDI controller home for their Mac and recording setup will want to take a closer look here. More details below. 

After launching its leather AirPods cases early last month, Pad & quill is now adding to the lineup with a new AirPods Max model. The high-end Brief AirPods Max Case provides a luxurious home for your precious Apple headphones as well as a low power mode magnet array and a built-in stand. Best of all, we have a nice promotion code so you don’t have to pay full price. Head below for all of the details. 

We could be in for some new details regarding the Bethesda Microsoft deal today. The massive $7.5 billion dollar merger was made official recently after making its way through the regulation process in both the EU and the US, effectively landing Bethesda’s biggest franchises — Fallout, Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Wolfenstein, and more — in Microsoft’s lap and leaving gamers with more questions than answers. We now have a much better idea of exclusivity and how these titles will make their way to Xbox Game Pass, but a new Bethesda Microsoft roundtable stream is scheduled for today that could bring some new details to light. You can watch the whole thing below. 

Today we are taking a look at the new USB-C podcasting microphone from Marantz — a brand best known for its hi-fi and high-end professional audio gear. While it has already released USB mics in the past, the new MPM-4000U Podcast Mic marks the first time it has released one specifically marketed to podcasters and the like. It lands in the mid-tier price range, features some interesting onboard mixing capabilities, and is now available for purchase. Head below for a closer look. 

SEGA is now teaming up with TOMY to release a new Club Mocchi Mocchi Sonic plush. TOMY — a well-known Japanese toy maker with a penchant for licensed products — creates those adorable Club Mocchi Mocchi Nintendo plushies you are likely to have seen featured on 9to5Toys from time to time (much of the lineup is on sale for Mario Day 2021 right now), and it is now introducing its latest Sonic the Hedgehog design. Head below for more details and a closer look at the new Club Mocchi Mocchi Sonic plush. 

We now have the official release date alongside a brand new trailer for the upcoming Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. Now set for a summertime release on Nintendo Switch and PC, fans of the series will be diving into the all-new co-op missions and Pokemon-like Monster Hunter experience some four months after the release of Monster Hunter Rise in just over two weeks. Head below for a closer look.  

Super Mario Bros. 35, that sweet Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection, and the Game & Watch-style handheld will all be no more come the end of the month. Back when Nintendo kicked off its Super Mario 35th anniversary in September of 2020, some of the most exciting announcements to come from the celebration were oddly slated to cease production and no longer be up for sale in March of 2021. As ridiculous and strange as this was, it seemed like Nintendo would have to change course at some point between then and now, wouldn’t it? But sadly, it looks like the company is following through, leaving the March 31, 2021 expiry date for Super Mario Bros. 35 and 3D All-Stars inching closer and closer every day. Head below for more details. 

After detailing the new Mario crossover content as part of its massive 2021 Direct presentation, Nintendo has now released the March Animal Crossing update details. Today’s New Horizons video showcases the influx of new content the game will be receiving throughout the month. Alongside the new Mario gear, in celebration of springtime and Shamrock Day, there will be new creatures to collect, items to craft, and more. Head below for a closer look. 

Reports suggest the next Nintendo Switch, or what could be considered the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro, is in the works. New information for Bloomberg’s sources are pointing at a new model Nintendo Switch console with a larger OLED display, and you guessed it, a 4K output. It could be set for release as early as this year and ready for the 2021 holiday season. More details below. 

Mattel is launching a series of new UNO products in celebration of its 50th anniversary, some of which are now available for purchase. The UNO Iconic series includes five individual decks, starting with the “groovy 1970s,” that feature nostalgic designs and represent each decade the popular family card game has been around. While the UNO 50th Anniversary Premium Card Set features deluxe-box packaging, it also includes some new gameplay tweaks to the classic rules. Head below for a closer look. 

A new Aliens game has been officially unveiled today. After a slew of acquisitions and years of development work, Cold Iron Studios has finally unveiled its new Aliens game. Set in the famous Sir Ridley Scott film universe, Cold Iron is working directly with 20th Century Studios to self-publish the new Aliens game known as Fireteam. Head below for more details and the debut trailer for the upcoming squad-based survival shooter experience. 

Sony dropped the release details for its world-class MLB The Show 21 baseball simulator last month, and we now know R.B.I. Baseball 21 will release one month before that. The once arcade-focused baseball game is coming with a slew of new enhancements that, while retaining that fast-paced simplicity of yesteryear, offer up an even more realistic and engaging experience than ever before. While it won’t give MLB The Show 21 a run for its money among the hardcore crowd, R.B.I. Baseball 21 is arriving for the rest of us in under two weeks’ time. More details below. 

You’re reading Tested with 9to5Toys, where we explore everyday tech essentials that make life a bit easier. Browse through our entire guide for all of the latest reviews, and sound off in the comments below if there’s something you’d like to see featured.

Today we are taking a hands-on look at the new felt AirPods case from Oakywood. Officially unveiled earlier this month, just after the brand’s MagSafe wooden cases hit, the new Oakywood felt AirPods cases feature merino wool exteriors with a handy keychain clip and a nice snap closure. We recently got a chance to put the Felt AirPods Case to the test over the last couple weeks and are now ready to feature it in our latest Tested with 9to5Toys review. Head below for a closer look. 

Elden Ring is the next FromSoftware game, although it has been entirely quiet after the development team went dark after the teaser trailer that was shown at Microsoft’s E3 2019 showcase. Anticipation is high to say the least for the upcoming collaboration between the Dark Souls/Bloodborne visionary, Hidetaka Miyazaki, and Game of Thrones/A Song of Fire and Ice creator, George R.R. Martin. But after leaving gamers with nothing but a dream since 2019, and questions of whether or not the project was still in development, it now appears a new trailer has leaked online giving a very first look at Elden Ring gameplay, and more. Head below for additional details. 

Pad & Quill has now launched a massive sitewide sale on leather Apple accessories, bags, desktop gear, and much more. These kinds of events usually sit in the 25-35% off range when it comes to Pad & Quill, but we are now seeing 40-50% off sitewide. This is easily the best Pad & Quill sale of the year and offers deals rivaling the Black Friday and end-of-year events in 2020. Everything ships free in orders over $35 and you can get even more details below. 

We are in for a special Pokémon presentation today in celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. We have already seen some notable releases to mark the occasion including life-size Poké Balls, classic reprints from TGC, and even some crossovers with Casio, but it sounds like we are in for some game announcements today. The presentation is set to kick off at 10 a.m. today, and we will have the live stream and updates waiting for you below. 

OK, folks, this is it. Sony’s next State of Play showcase event is set for today with new PlayStation games and deep dives into some titles we already know about. Today’s presentation marks the first State of Play for 2021 and is expected to feature 30 straight minutes of games. After seeing an impressive Nintendo Direct last week, it’s now Sony’s turn to give us an idea about what to expect on PlayStation over the next year or so. New PlayStation games, updates on third-party titles, and more will be included and the whole thing kicks off at 5 p.m ET. Head below for more details. 

We are getting some big news today in the PC gaming world as HP is set to purchase the HyperX peripherals business. In a move to bolster its PC gaming accessory offerings, HP is reportedly dishing out $425 million to acquire HyperX — the gaming accessory arm of Kingston. This will bring a series of top-tier mice, keyboards, headsets, and microphones (as well as some console-related gear) into HP’s PC gaming stable, allowing it to compete with some of the biggest names in the space more so than ever before. Head below for additional details.