Technologies

I Played Hours of Mario Kart World and Used GameChat on the Switch 2. I’m Hooked

From the chaos of 24-player races to the fun of group chats to the shrug that is Welcome Tour, the Switch 2 holds a lot of potential. But is it enough to buy right now?

Mario Kart World on the Switch 2 is a lot more interesting when you can see your friend’s face floating over the kart you’re trying to beat. I’m sitting with some folks from CNET’s sister site IGN and someone from Nintendo as I’m desperately trying to hang in a Knockout Tour competition, and we’re playing with the Switch 2 Camera connected and tracking our faces. Each of our four faces ends up broadcast into the game, floating over our respective vehicles. It’s live video, too: You can stick out your tongue or roll your eyes. Or, as one person did, zoom in on just your ear.

Nintendo is trying its best to show off how its new console is better than the first-gen Switch models. After a full day playing the Switch 2 a couple of months ago, I recently got a second full-day dive ahead of its June 5 launch — more time with Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Nintendo’s only exclusive first-party Switch 2 games at launch. And I finally used GameChat, the console’s new multiperson audio/video chat feature.

I don’t have a Switch 2 to review yet, so I can’t really nail down my feelings about the full experience just yet. But in these early looks, I’m getting a sense that the Switch 2 is a console that, while showing promise, is something you can also easily wait on. That said, GameChat’s a welcome new feature; camera-connected play is surprisingly addictive (and sort of magical), and Mario Kart World is a blast, especially in wild multiplayer matches. After trying 24-player multiplayer, I don’t know if I can go back.

GameChat: Nintendo’s audio-video hangout zone

My 12-year-old tends to play games by starting a FaceTime chat with his friends, and then playing games while keeping his chat on. Sometimes they’re playing together, sometimes they’re not. I kept thinking about that when getting a brief chance to try Switch 2 GameChat at a Nintendo demo event, which basically aspires to do the same thing.

GameChat, which you start by pressing the right Joy-Con’s new C button, connects up to 12 players via audio (or four with video) into a little group. Friends have to be preinvited to GameChat via your own friends list on the Switch 2, making it a deliberate process that’s parent-friendly but not that spontaneous-feeling. Once that’s done, though, chats are fast to start up.

You can control turning your microphone, camera feed or game feed on and off while in chat. You can also hide your menu screens and just show your game once you’re playing it. You’re either just hearing friends, or seeing split-screen views of up to three others showing their faces, or the games they’re playing, or both.

The $55 Switch 2 Camera is sold separately, and it adds your face. There are a few clever modes that can either show your whole background in a picture-in-picture, cut out your face and body to overlay onto the game footage or zoom in to frame your face (or another part of your face/body you want to track) in a circle.

Video quality for both your face and game footage isn’t great, but it’s enough to feel connected to see what your friends are doing (and emoting). No one has to be playing the same game together, so it’s more of a way to just share what you’re up to at the same time. It’s really more of a hangout room where you can chat and maybe also play games together.

I got a second demo of camera-connected multiplayer in Mario Kart World, which we did in the same room, but it shows the possibilities of GameChat and multiplayer in other ways. Cleverly, the camera could track and zoom in on all four of our faces at the same time, displaying them separately on-screen as overlays on our karts. It almost felt like augmented reality magic, and reminded me of some of the other tricks I saw in Mario Party Jamboree, which is getting a camera-focused update over the summer.

Mario Kart World: Multiplayer is a blast, so is wandering

I still don’t know if any new Mario Kart game can truly top Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s 96 courses (including DLC), but Mario Kart World is a lot of fun… and something I can’t wait to explore more.

I spent some time with Nintendo’s big Switch 2 launch game in April, but got hours more to dive into wandering around, trying out all the modes, and playing online with 23 others. I got hooked.

Mario Kart World’s best feature is its wandering style: Everything is spread across a huge land, and you can just tool around and discover secrets or suddenly end up on other courses, or parts of courses. In its Free Roam mode, I just kind of tried to find things, mainly P-Switch challenges, which start up little timed events to earn awards, similar to challenges in Super Mario 3D games.

The courses I tried looked to be unique from lap to lap, unfolding over territory that eventually can lead to other courses if you’re playing in Versus or Knockout Tour modes. Once a race is done, your trip to the other course is still part of the race. It adds variety and changes up how some races even feel, depending on which one you’re heading to next, but also feels like it’s a departure from the more static lap-based courses from older Karts. It’s a lot more like Forza Horizon games in style, which I actually love.

Multiplayer in 24-player modes is total chaos. Many of the courses are wider than previous Mario Kart games to accommodate all those karts, and it can get pretty Mad Max. It also makes surviving feel even more victorious. Knockout Tour is the star of the show. This new mode, which I tried in April, is a survival race that eliminates a certain percentage of players every course. It feels like a 99-player-type survival game, but I like this even better. I once made it to sixth place among a bunch of game journalists, which was enough of a win for me.

Also, the characters? I love them. I played as a cow. I played as a dolphin. I played as a crab. There are so many weird options. It’s lovely.

I also tried Battle Mode, where 24 of us zoomed around pretty large course maps to either collect coins as fast as we could, or try to pop each others’ balloons. It was fun too, but felt more random, less purposeful than the races.

I mostly played in TV-docked mode, which showed off the Switch 2’s graphics quality: clearly better than Switch 1, but not shockingly so. I also tried handheld mode, and I’m impressed by the quality of the Switch 2’s LCD 1080p display, even if it isn’t OLED.

As good as it all is, though, I don’t think it’s enough on its own to justify a Switch 2 purchase. Not yet. Still, if you’re getting a Switch 2, this game is obviously your must-get, and it feels like it earns that label.

Switch 2 Welcome Tour: It should’ve been free

I spent more time in the weirdly charming Welcome Tour (about an hour and a half), and still can’t tell how much content this «game» has in it. Welcome Tour is literally a walk-through of the Switch 2’s features, accompanied by quizzes, demos and some minigames to try. It clearly should’ve been included on the Switch 2, much like Astro’s Playroom on the PS5. Instead, Nintendo is charging $10 for it — that’s absurd.

Then again, I’d be tempted to get it at launch just to have some things to play with that show off the Switch 2 extras, like mouse mode. Welcome Tour also has lots of weird facts about the Switch 2’s construction and design, like how its speakers are designed and housed. Lots of deep, nerdy stuff, and why is this presented in an app like this? I don’t know, and I wish Nintendo had just made a weird collection of mini-games like 1-2 Switch instead.

I unlocked some of the areas in the game, finished some quizzes, tested Joy-Con haptics, looked at frame-rate and HDR demos, and did some arcade-ish minigames using the Joy-Con as a mouse. I want to play it more, but I can’t justify the existence of this as a standalone paid game at all. Neither should Nintendo. There’s still time to change course and make this a free download.

Switch 2 still seems great, but not necessary yet

One final note: I walked away from my day of play feeling like I’d be happy to carry around a Switch 2, but unable to justify to friends why they should get one now. It doesn’t feel like a console that demands to be bought yet, and it’s too much of an «enhanced Switch» type of experience at the moment. That will certainly change once more exclusive and enhanced games emerge, but that could take another year. I’ll have more thoughts when I review the Switch 2 soon, but I do see more potential in GameChat and the connected camera than I expected.

Technologies

Your Pixel 10 Might Have Issues With Older Wireless Chargers

You might want to try taking the case off your phone in order to successfully charge it.

When Google introduced the Pixel 10 lineup in August, it became one of the first major Android phones to receive the Qi 2 wireless charging standard, which Google calls Pixelsnap. However, users noticed issues with wireless charging on the Pixel 10 almost immediately after its release.

Some people are having trouble charging their phone with the new Pixelsnap charger, and others are having issues with older wireless chargers, including Google’s own Pixel Stands. The bulk of the problems happen when a case is on the phone — whether it has the magnet array or not.

I own both the first and second generation Pixel Stands and both will charge my Pixel 10 Pro XL without an issue if there’s no case on it. However, when I add a case to my phone, the problems begin.

I have three cases for my phone, the Mous Super Thin Clear Case, the Magnetic Slim Case Fit by Grecazo, and a no-name soft TPU case. If my phone has any of those cases on and I attempt to charge it while it’s vertical, it starts to charge and then stops after a second or two, and keeps doing that.

I can fix this for the first-generation Pixel Stand by turning the phone horizontal, but it will still charge very slowly. I can’t seem to fix it at all for the Pixel Stand 2 — vertical, horizontal, it doesn’t charge.

Not everyone has this issue

The problem doesn’t seem to be universal. CNET editor Patrick Holland said he had no issues charging the Pixel 10 Pro during his time with it.

A Google spokesperson told me the Pixel 10 lineup is not optimized for older Qi wireless charging standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the phones won’t work with older wireless chargers.

Qi 2 is backwards-compatible with older standards, but the phone’s height and charging coil placement on both the phone and the charger are still factors. If you’re having problems, you might see if removing the case helps.

The prospect of potentially needing to replace your older wireless chargers with newer ones isn’t ideal, especially if you shelled out $80 for one or both of Google’s own Pixel Stands. Still, if you want the best wireless charging speed for your brand new Pixel 10 phone, it won’t be with wireless chargers that only support older Qi standards.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 19, #361

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 19, No. 361.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

The yellow category in Connections: Sports Edition is always easy, but today’s seemed like a no-brainer. The other categories aren’t too tough, either, especially for midwesterners. But if you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Spotted on TV.

Green group hint: Unusual team names.

Blue group hint: Air Jordan.

Purple group hint: The Big House is another one.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Things seen on an NFL sideline.

Green group: NBA teams with singular nicknames.

Blue group: Teams Michael Jordan played for.

Purple group: Big Ten stadiums.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is things seen on an NFL sideline. The four answers are benches, chains, coaches and medical tent.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA teams with singular nicknames. The four answers are Heat, Jazz, Magic and Thunder.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams Michael Jordan played for. The four answers are Barons, Bulls, UNC and Wizards.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Big Ten stadiums. The four answers are Beaver, Camp Randall, Ohio and Spartan.

Technologies

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: Should You Upgrade?

Here’s a look at the key differences between Apple’s latest flagship noise-canceling earbuds compared with their predecessor.

With Apple releasing the AirPods Pro 3, folks who already own the AirPods Pro 2 may be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading.

A good portion of my full review of the AirPods Pro 3 is devoted to discussing the differences between the two models. Here’s how I conclude my review: «Several new features, such as Live Translation, will be available for the AirPods Pro 2, so many AirPods Pro 2 owners won’t feel the need to upgrade right away. But if you’ve been using AirPods Pro 2 for a while, it might be worth passing them on to a friend or relative and upgrading to the Pro 3s.»

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s stayed the same

The AirPods Pro 3’s list price is still $249 (£219, AU$429). That wasn’t a given with all the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration tariffs, but we’ll see how the price shakes out on Amazon and other retailers, where AirPods models often get discounted.
The AirPods Pro 3 are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, the same one that powers the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Rumors pointed to an H3 chip, but that didn’t happen.
No new color options; white is still the only option.
The AirPods Pro 3 stick with Bluetooth 5.3, just like the AirPods Pro 2 (though some true-wireless earbuds have already jumped to Bluetooth 6.0).
The buds still feature a MagSafe charging case with USB-C and wireless charging. However, no USB-C charging cable is included (Apple also left out a charging cable with the AirPods 4, though most people have a USB-C cable).

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s changed

While they look similar to the previous model, the AirPods Pro 3 have been redesigned. Their geometric shape has changed a bit, with the angle of the bud shifted. They’re the same length but slightly smaller width-wise, slightly larger depth-wise and weigh a touch more (5.55 grams vs. 5.3 grams on the AirPods Pro 2).
The AirPods Pro 3 come with new foam-infused silicone eartips in five sizes, including a new extra-extra small size.
The AirPods Pro 3 are equipped with heart-rate sensors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
2x better noise cancellation compared to the AirPods Pro 2, according to Apple.
While the AirPods Pro 3 have 10.7mm drivers like the AirPods Pro 2, those drivers have been upgraded to take advantage of the buds’ new multiport acoustic architecture, which moves more air through the buds and improves sound quality.
The AirPods Pro 3’s microphones have been upgraded.
The AirPods Pro 3’s Transparency Mode has been enhanced.
New Live Translation feature (also available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 series, but not the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2).
The AirPods Pro 3’s battery life has improved to 8 hours with noise cancellation on and up to 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode with transparency on. The AirPods Pro 2 are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life with noise-canceling on.
Instead of being IPX4 splash-proof like the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 got an IP57 rating (so did their charging case), which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. (I poured water on them and they survived just fine.) They’re also dust-resistant.
The AirPods Pro’s case now includes a U2 chip, boosting Precision Finding range in the Find My app by 1.5x (requires an iPhone 17). The AirPods Pro 2’s case has the U1 chip.
Like with the AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 3’s case no longer has a button for Bluetooth pairing. You simply double-tap on the front of the case to put the buds into Bluetooth pairing mode. The AirPods Pro 2 have a physical button for Bluetooth pairing.

The AirPods Pro 3’s new geometric shape and eartips are among the biggest changes

While the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2 look very similar at first glance, they do feel different in your ears. That’s because the AirPods Pro 3’s new eartips are made of silicone but infused with foam toward the front of the ear tip. Also, the angle of the bud has been adjusted so the eartips point more directly into your ear canals.

If you’re someone who couldn’t quite get a good fit with the original AirPods Pro or Pro 2, the new design could very well help you get a snugger, more secure fit. The fact is that a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise-canceling performance, and Apple redesigned the eartips to make sure users could hear the sound and noise-canceling upgrades with the AirPods Pro 3.

Alas, the new AirPods Pro 3 tips don’t work with earlier AirPods Pro models; they attach differently.

Do you really need the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate monitoring?

I personally don’t feel that heart-rate monitoring is a must-have feature, particularly if you already own a smartwatch with the feature. But for some folks, it will be a welcome addition. The heart-rate sensors have been custom-designed for the AirPods Pro 3 (they’re Apple’s smallest heart-rate sensors) and aren’t identical to the ones in the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the experience using the heart-rate monitoring feature is the same.

How much better are the AirPods Pro 3 than the AirPods Pro 2?

It’s always hard to put an exact percentage on how improved one generation of a product is to the next, and there are always some people who will prefer the older model for whatever reason. But for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are about 20-25% better.

While they both use the H2 chip, the newest AirPods have been redesigned on the outside and inside, and most people should notice the improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and fit.

If you own the original AirPods Pro, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend upgrading, especially if your battery life has decreased.

If you’re happy with your AirPods Pro 2, there’s no hurry to upgrade unless your battery life has become an issue (some people have the older AirPods Pro 2 with a Lightning connector for charging instead of USB-C). The previous generation supports most of the same features as the AirPods Pro 3 (aside from heart-monitoring), including Live Translation and Hearing Aid mode.

It’s worth pointing out that the AirPods Pro 3 offer slightly better speech clarity for Hearing Aid mode (with Automatic Conversation Boost) and better battery life — up to 10 hours with Transparency and Hearing Aid mode. That makes the AirPods 3 the better choice if you have small to moderate hearing loss and plan to use your AirPods as hearing aids.

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods 4 with ANC spec comparison

	AirPods Pro 2	AirPods Pro 3	AirPods 4 with ANC
Weight (each earbud)	0.19 ounce (5.13 grams)	0.20 ounce (5.5 grams)	0.15 ounce (4.3 grams)
Weight (case)	1.79 ounces (50.8 grams)	1.55 ounces (43.99 grams)	1.22 ounces (34.7 grams)
Water resistant	IPX4	IP57	IP54
Sensors	Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor	Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor, heart-rate sensor	Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone
Chip	H2	H2	H2
Conectivity	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Active Noise Cancelation, Transparency mode	Yes	Yes	Yes
Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voice Isolation, Personalized volume	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	Up to 6 hours +30 hours with case	Up to 8 hours +24 hours with case	Up to 5 hours +30 hours with case
Wire in box	Yes	No	No
Launch Price	$249	$249	$179