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• Nintendo has confirmed its attendance at Gamescom 2025
• The annual gaming event will take place in late August in Germany
• A whole bunch of Nintendo Switch 2 games are likely to be featured

Nintendo has confirmed that it will be returning to Gamescom this year. The annual event based in Cologne, Germany, is one of the largest on the gaming calendar.

And now that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be out by the time Gamescom occurs between August 20 - 24, it's something of a no-brainer for the company to be in attendance this year.

The news was confirmed by Nintendo's official German X / Twitter account. Using the website's built-in translation feature, the post reads: "Mark your calendar in red: Nintendo will be back at Gamescom in 2025. We look forward to welcoming you to Cologne from August 20th to 24th!"

Now, if you were hoping for a rundown on what Nintendo Switch 2 games will be featured at Nintendo's booth, that unfortunately hasn't been confirmed yet. It'll likely be a round-up of the usual suspects, particularly Metroid Prime 4: Beyond if that game hasn't been released by the time Gamescom occurs. Upcoming third-party releases like Hades 2 and Borderlands 4 could also make a potential appearance.

While I'm sure the likes of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will also be playable (even though these will have launched before August), Gamescom is also a great chance to preview games ahead of their release. That has me wondering if we can expect another Nintendo Direct presentation sometime between the Switch 2's June 5 launch and Gamescom's late-August dates.

Is the news of Nintendo's attendance at Gamescom this year surprising? No, not really. The company skipped out on last year's event, presumably because it didn't have much to showcase at the time for the aging Nintendo Switch hardware. Now that it has a fresh new console on the block, a return to Europe's largest gaming event should be a given.

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• Bad news if you splashed out on an expensive gaming TV, Nintendo Switch 2 will only support VRR in handheld mode
• Nintendo Switch 2 is forecasted to sell 100 million units by the end of 2029, according to industry analysts
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• GameStop and Best Buy have announced they will be restocking the Nintendo Switch 2
• Switch 2 units will be available in-store and online at both retailers during the console's launch on June 5, 2025
• In-person launch events will also be hosted in stores during the release

More Nintendo Switch 2 stock will be available at GameStop and Best Buy during the handheld's launch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 finally releases worldwide on June 5, 2025. Although UK and US pre-orders opened weeks in advance, some retailers have already run out of stock, and some fans have been unable to secure a console.

Fortunately, some retailers like GameStop and Best Buy will be offering new Switch 2 stock to those who missed out, but they'll only be available during the console's release.

"Didn't pre-order? Additional Switch 2 units will be available in-store and online at launch while supplies last," GameStop said in a social media post.

It will also be hosting a launch event, which begins in-store at 3 PM local time on June 4, with Switch 2 pickups starting at 12 AM EST / 9 PM PST.

Didn't pre-order Switch 2? We got you. pic.twitter.com/6Xa4QUzM3gMay 16, 2025

Best Buy also shared on its homepage that it will be hosting late-night store openings after midnight on June 5.

"In addition to fulfilling pre-orders, most stores will have limited inventory of systems, games and accessories for in-store purchase. Customers will also have the chance to receive a Nintendo collectible," the retailer said.

Although more stock will be available, Best Buy has warned buyers of crowds and long queues.

"Expect to see long lines at popular Best Buy stores in US cities hours in advance of the midnight release date, and some in the crowd may not be able to get the new console," Best Buy said in a statement to The Shortcut.

In case you missed it, the Nintendo Switch 2 will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle which includes a digital copy of that game.

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• Intel has showcased its Panther Lake processors at Computex 2025
• It's hinted at a focus on power efficiency and 'next-gen iGPU performance' for the mobile processors
• It could spell great news for upcoming handheld gaming PCs and other portable gaming systems

Computex 2025 is underway, and we’re looking forward to seeing new hardware from the likes of Nvidia, AMD, and Intel – and the latter is already making an impression with its upcoming mobile processor lineup.

As reported by our friends at Tom's Hardware, Intel's demos at the big computing expo in Taipei included Panther Lake-powered systems, with Team Blue focusing on the power efficiency and gaming performance of its new mobile processor lineup – ultimately, aiming to match the power efficiency of the previous Lunar Lake lineup.

Intel's teasers and claims at the show add credibility to the rumors, based on leaked specifications, regarding upcoming Panther Lake processors using Cougar Cove P-cores (performance cores) and Darkmont E-cores (efficiency cores). It's also worth noting that the new processors are being built on Intel's new 18A node manufacturing process, which further helps improve performance.

We've previously seen the power efficiency of the Lunar Lake lineup, in particular in the Core Ultra 7 258V used in the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Power efficiency is one of the biggest highlights of the handheld gaming PC – to put it simply, gaming at 17W power consumption still yields great performance results while saving a lot of battery. Efficiency and performance were made even better with Intel's recent drivers, allowing better frame pacing.

Team Blue has also previously hinted at a “next-gen built-in iGPU”, which could prove to be a significant performance enhancer for portable gaming.

While Panther Lake is set primarily for the laptop platform, there's every chance we could see one of these iGPUs in an upcoming gaming handheld.

If Panther Lake is any better than this, I'll be more than happy (Image credit: Intel) The battle with AMD in the handheld gaming PC market is truly on

We're still awaiting the launch of a new handheld gaming PC powered by one of AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processors – I'm expecting this to happen at Computex, considering the prototype reveal of the Lenovo Legion Go 2 at CES earlier this year and rumors regarding an Xbox-styled Asus ROG Ally. Until then, Intel is in the lead, in terms of a balance between power efficiency and gaming performance, with its Core Ultra 7 258V.

While the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 is an absolute powerhouse for gaming, and is used in the OneXPlayer X1 Pro handheld, I doubt that the X1 Pro’s battery life lives up to that of the Core Ultra 7 258V-powered MSI Claw 8 AI+. It's also far more expensive, heading into $1,000-plus territory (depending on the configuration).

Intel's Lunar Lake processor has been the most impressive to me for handheld gaming systems, as it appears to strike the perfect balance between great performance and enabling long gaming sessions thanks to its power efficiency.

If its Panther Lake processors take power efficiency and performance a step further, and AMD's Medusa Point struggles to match them in that department, I can only see Team Blue dominating the mobile processor market in the coming years, as handheld manufacturers won’t be forced to compromise on battery life.

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• Google's annual I/O event is live today at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 6 pm BST
• Expect lots of new announcements, including AI reveals, Android XR, and Project Astra
• Google showcased Android 16 last week, so don't expect much from Google's mobile OS today

This year's Google I/O event is set to bring major announcements showcasing the future of Android XR, Gemini, and everything else the tech giant is working on.

Google showcased Android 16 last week, leaving lots of people guessing at what to expect during its flagship keynote this year. As we expect the focus to be less about Android and more about XR and AI, this year's Google I/O could be the biggest yet.

From Google's new AI Mode to Gemini Live, we expect some huge announcements that could shift the way we interact with the internet.

Starting at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 6 pm BST, we'll be covering all the latest announcements from Google I/O 2025.

Google I/O 2025: What to expect

Everything we expect to see at Google I/O 2025 is still a mystery, here are some of the things we're hoping to get a glimpse of:

• Gemini AI updates, with more info on what the future of Google AI holds
• Android XR information, could we see some hardware?
• Another look at Project Astra, Google's AI assistant that can understand and interact with the world around it

Welcome to TechRadar's Google I/O 2025 live blog! John-Anthony Disotto, Senior AI Writer, here to take you through the first few hours of today as we build up to one of Google's biggest events of the year.

So grab a coffee, set this tab up to the side of your monitor, and get ready for a huge day in the world of tech!

(Image credit: Google)

Google I/O 2025 starts in around 9 hours, at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 6 pm BST. That gives us loads of time to take you through everything we expect to see at Google's headline keynote.

There's going to be loads of AI, maybe some Android, and definitely some surprises, so you won't want to miss what the tech giant has up its sleeve.

On Google's official website for the event, it says, "Discover how we’re furthering our mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful."

This makes me think we're going to see some big improvements to Google Search, and maybe even a wider roll-out of AI Mode.

AI Mode launched in beta earlier this year, bringing artificial intelligence to the forefront of the Google Search experience. Whether you love it or hate it, AI looks like it's here to stay, and Google Gemini is probably going to play a part.

(Image credit: Google AI Mode Screenshots)

One feature I expect Google to talk more about today is AI Mode. TechRadar writer Eric Hal Schwartz has tried Google's AI Mode and says it might be the end of Search as we know it.

In his feature about the user experience he says, "There's always a lot going on in my area, but finding information on what's on can often be tough. Instead of checking six different websites and hoping they’ve been updated, I asked Google through AI Mode: “What are some local events happening in the Hudson Valley this weekend?”

As you can see above, the AI responded almost instantly with a tidy roundup of events. The list of links to the right showed where it was pulling from, and each event had a short description and details of location and time, as well as a hyperlink to where the information came from. The diversity of sources stood out, and I can't deny it was faster than a regular search plus time spent opening each site to see what was listed."

Think of AI Mode as Google's take on ChatGPT Search, although, are we ready to fully embrace AI search yet? I'm not so sure.

Google I/O 2025 takes place over May 20 and May 21, but the main event is the Google keynote, which starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, which is 3am on May 21 for those in the AEST time zone.

The keynote will likely be around two hours long based on past form, and you’ll be able to live stream it from Google’s I/O website, and also on the Google YouTube channel.

We’ve embedded the YouTube video below, so you can watch it without even leaving this page if you want – and if you click the ‘Notify me’ button on the video, you can get a notification when the event is about to start.

Normally we get a look at the future of Android at Google I/O, but this year is different after Google showcased Android 16 last week.

If you want to see what the upcoming mobile software update looks like, we've covered the 5 most useful features coming with Android 16.

Google Gemini updates?

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In March, Google revealed Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, which the company called its 'Most intelligent AI model' yet.

I'm hoping to see more information on 2.5, and maybe a wider release. At the moment, naming schemes for AI models are getting increasingly hard to follow. Could Google rise up and find a way to simplify the process?

Gemini has so much to offer from Gemini Live, Deep Research, Canvas, Veo, the capabilities are almost endless. If Google could merge everything so that the AI can determine what you need, when you need it, that would be a major shift in the way we interact with artificial intelligence.

When it comes to the ultimate in home entertainment, bigger really is better – and there’s science behind it. Our eyes were made for wide, immersive viewing, and that means a 100-inch screen doesn’t just look amazing; it aligns with how we naturally see and focus, reducing eye strain and recreating the dynamic experience of a cinema.

With living spaces evolving to include bigger homes and larger living rooms, big-screen TVs are no longer a luxury: they’re rapidly becoming the new standard. And when it comes to big, beautiful TVs, Hisense is the undisputed market leader: in 2023 and 2024 it was the global number one for TVs sized 100 inches and higher.[1]

Super-sized TVs make your front room feel like the world's best cinema or stadium, and Hisense's models are packed with cutting-edge tech to make everything feel incredibly vivid, incredibly lifelike and incredibly immersive. With advanced AI picture processing, multi-channel audio, ultra-vivid Mini-LED displays and speedy, silky-smooth refresh rates they deliver a video and audio experience that's truly incredible for cinema, for gaming, for sports and more.

Discover 100 inches of wow

Hisense's ULED Mini-LED TVs bring you 100 inches of wow. At this scale movies and sports aren't things you watch; they're sensory spectaculars that transport you beyond the ordinary, delivering astonishingly vivid visuals and incredibly immersive audio.

(Image credit: Hisense)

The heart of Hisense's Mini-LED PRO models is their gorgeous Mini-LED PRO technology, where every frame comes to life with outstanding contrast and brightness. The precise backlight control ensures you never miss a single detail, no matter how dark or bright.

Compared to traditional LED TVs, Mini-LED PRO technology uses thousands of tiny light sources and precise full-array local dimming to deliver deeper blacks, dazzling highlights, and exceptional contrast. Whether you’re watching an intense night match or a dark cinematic scene, every frame pops with lifelike clarity. It’s a picture that pulls you in—rich in detail, vibrant in colour, and immersive from any seat in the room.

(Image credit: Hisense)

But there’s more behind the wow. Hisense’s Hi-View AI Engine PRO brings AI-powered precision to every scene, analysing content and surroundings in real time to fine-tune brightness, contrast, and colour—delivering a viewing experience that adapts to your space and what you love to watch.

Even at the recommended 3-metre (9.8-foot) viewing distance—typical in modern compact living rooms—Hisense’s AI ensures images remain sharp, vibrant, and immersive. Big screen, small room? No problem. With pixel-level analysis and intelligent optimisation, Hisense makes 100 inches of wow possible anywhere.

(Image credit: Hisense)

And for gamers, the thrill goes even deeper. Select Hisense models offer a lightning-fast 165Hz refresh rate and Auto Low Latency Mode, ensuring ultra-smooth motion and instant responsiveness—perfect for fast-paced matches, action-packed races, or cinematic adventures full of shadow and detail.

Sensational cinema and spectacular vision

(Image credit: Hisense)

Take the U8 Series, for example—it’s where Mini-LED PRO shines.

The Hisense U8 Series is made for cinema lovers who demand more than just a big screen: it's a cinema-grade experience in the heart of your home. Its Mini-LED PRO has a much higher density than typical TVs, with QLED Colour, Pantone Validated Colour and IMAX Enhanced certification delivering cinema-spec colour and contrast. With Dolby Vision and Filmmaker Mode built in, it brings you an extraordinary cinematic experience in three spectacular sizes: 75, 85 and 100 inches.

AI empowers every moment

As one of the first TV brands to deeply integrate AI across its product range, Hisense is using intelligent processing to go far beyond static picture presentation. At the heart of this evolution is the Hi-View AI Engine PRO, a powerful chip that analyses content and surroundings in real time—automatically adjusting contrast, brightness, and colour to match not just what you’re watching, but where you’re watching it.

In both U7 and U8 series, this powerful processor intelligently analyses scenes in real time, optimising each frame for enhanced contrast, colour and motion. Combined with AI Sound and AI Sports Mode, this ensures both visuals and audio adjust dynamically to different content types, making every movie, game, or live match incredibly lifelike. And if you like to watch live sports with friends or family you'll love how bright the U8 Series is: with up to 5,000 nits of brightness and Hisense's Anti-Reflection PRO it performs brilliantly even in the very brightest rooms.

Whether it's fast-paced football or movie magic, the U8 Series's sound system will put you right where the action is. Side speakers, rear subwoofers, and upward-firing speakers combine to put you in the centre of a sensational 4.1.2 multi-channel experience that delivers truly immersive audio in perfect harmony with the on-screen visuals.

Next-gen experience for game enthusiasts

(Image credit: Hisense)

The Hisense U7 Series delivers the next level of immersive sports and gaming. It's an elite TV range designed for action lovers, and it delivers a lightning-fast 165Hz refresh rate with auto low latency mode for cutting-edge PC and console gaming. From split-second reactions on the track to high-speed football plays, every frame is rendered with fluid clarity –eliminating input lag and frame tearing for a smoother, more responsive experience from the moment you press start.

In addition to delivering video and audio that'll take your breath away, the U7 Series can also help you navigate your favourite streaming services: it comes complete with Google/VIDAA TV, which pulls content from all your favourite streamers into one convenient place and helps you find great new shows based on your viewing history.

The future of fantastic

Something even bigger is coming soon. Hisense is always innovating in the super-sized TV category, and it'll soon be launching a brand new and very large flagship in the form of the UX Series with RGB Mini-LED Technology. It'll deliver a new era of display excellence and intelligent technology, and its proprietary RGB Mini-LED and ultra-large screen design will push the limits of visual performance and engineering excellence.

Recognized as the global number one in the 100-inch TV category, Hisense is leading the way in picture quality, screen innovation, and immersive viewing. Aligned with global trends in big screen, AI, Mini-LED, and high refresh rates, the brand continues to drive its “Go Bigger, Aim Higher” strategy—showcasing standout advantages across its 100”, 85”, and 75” lineup and reinforcing its leadership in the premium large-screen segment.

While the new UX Series is still under wraps, you don't need to wait to experience the ultimate in big-screen entertainment: whether you're a movie buff, a sports fan, a gamer or all these things and more the Hisense U8 Series and U7 Series are available right now in a range of sizes to suit your space. And with Hisense proudly serving as the official partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ this year’s matches will be more than a tournament—they’ll be a celebration of big-screen immersion. From cinematic storytelling to edge-of-your-seat action, there’s never been a better time to bring stadium-sized thrills home.

If you'd like to know more about the incredible Hisense U8 Series and U7 Series or register for updates about the ultimate UX Series, click here for the big picture.

[1] Data source: Omdia

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