Technologies
Evercade EXP Review: A Retro Mini Console With a Twist
This might be an answer for lovers of vertical arcade games.

There were a ton of retro gaming mini consoles a few years ago, a trend which faded away shortly after the global pandemic started. Remember the NES Classic, the Sega Genesis Mini, and even the Turbografx 16 Mini? There are still ways to play retro games: tons of them, in fact. The Nintendo Switch has a bunch. There are compilations like the stellar Atari 50. There are gaming handhelds that play older game cartridges. And then there’s the Evercade EXP.
The second-gen version of the Evercade is a handheld specifically made to play ready-made cartridge compilations of retro games. The Evercade EXP can also plug directly into TVs using an HDMI mini cable, effectively becoming a mini console.
But my favorite thing about the EXP is how it flips into a vertical mode to play vertical-orientation, or «TATE,» arcade games. It handles that in a way that’s so easy, it’s weird that more handhelds don’t do this. (The Nintendo Switch allows for TATE game modes, but it depends on each individual game’s support.)
The Evercade EXP is chunky. It’s close to the size of a PlayStation Vita (remember that one?), but it’s smaller than a Nintendo Switch Lite. It could be jacket-pocketed, maybe. The handheld comes studded with most of the buttons that 8- and 16-bit games need: four buttons on one side, two on the other next to a d-pad that all work together in vertical mode. There are dual shoulder button-triggers on each side.


The Evercade EXP uses cartridges that have game compilations. Some games are also preinstalled.
Scott Stein/CNETUnlike a ton of small handhelds that can also be modded to run emulations, the Evercade EXP is strictly designed to play the system’s own cartridges. There are a few dozen that the Evercade EXP has to choose from, costing about $25 per multigame cartridge. There are collections of classics from Namco, Atari, Data East, Interplay and even more obscure sources. There are plenty of missing companies, though: Konami is a no-show, and don’t expect Sega (or, obviously, Nintendo). But there are surprising compilations of Atari Lynx (I finally got to play Blue Lightning!), Commodore 64, Intellivision and Amiga games, and Evercade splits its cartridge collections up between console-based and arcade-based classics.
The $150 Evercade EXP does throw in some tempting extras. The system has 18 Capcom arcade and console games built in, and it’s a great mix. You get Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Strider, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting and Mega Man games. There’s also an included compilation arcade cartridge of games from classic game publisher Irem with six other games including R-Type, In The Hunt and Moon Patrol. The arcade games feel great, and the vertical TATE modes when available open up a lot more screen space on the 4.3-inch screen. There are also five more indie games on the system, which can be unlocked with hidden codes.


There are 18 preinstalled Capcom games, and five more hidden indie games to unlock.
Scott Stein/CNETTheoretically, the Evercade EXP could download new games via Wi-Fi, but that feature doesn’t seem enabled yet. The handheld’s software has been updated since the original Evercade, and the display, while still being a somewhat low-res IPS LCD screen (800×480 pixels), is totally fine for all the games it plays. The system charges via USB-C, and lasts enough hours for me to play until I get bored and do something else (about 4 hours). There’s also a headphone jack.
I don’t think there’s enough gaming time in my life for the Evercade EXP to steal attention away from the Nintendo Switch (or the Panic Playdate), but I appreciate how this handheld offers up so many lost treasures on the go. It’s sort of a philosophical alternative to the Analogue Pocket, a great handheld that’s more purely focused on playing original Game Boy games and replicating older hardware platforms. The Evercade EXP is a good enough arcade package for anyone who really loves vertical shoot em ups, though. And hey, will more gaming handhelds please support vertical TATE mode at the press of a button like the Evercade EXP does? Thank you!
Technologies
Why Are Switch 2 Games So Expensive? Trump’s Tariffs May Not Be Sole Factor
It still comes down to money.

Wednesday’s reveal of the Switch 2 had a lot of buzz from Nintendo surrounding its successor to the Switch. One shocking bit, though, was the high price of its games. There’s a lot of confusion, especially with news of President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on many trading partners, including Japan.
After the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo released the full details of the upcoming console and games on its website. The price of Mario Kart World shocked gamers and led to some disdain, as the $80 MSRP was $10 more than what most new games cost today. This led many to wonder if this would be a new normal for game prices due to Trump’s tariffs or if Nintendo was just being greedy. The answer, however, might be something completely different.
Are Nintendo Switch 2 game prices hiking?
To start, some details need to be cleared up. Some people have posted on social media that the price of Nintendo’s Switch 2 games, at least in the US, will be $90. That is incorrect, as of right now.
One X user posted Switch 2 EU prices for Mario Kart World, which start at 80 euros for a digital version and 90 euros for the physical copy. Typically, US and EU games match in price, which caused some to assume that this pricing would be the case for the US.
Nintendo Switch 2 games will be more expensive physically than digitally.
Mario Kart World will be 90 freaking euros phisically. pic.twitter.com/iXuRwzlFqH— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) April 2, 2025
US retailers, however, already posted their Switch 2 game prices, and Nintendo-published games are listed at $80.
Will Trump’s tariffs cause the Switch 2 to cost more?
As for Trump’s tariffs, that is unlikely to be a driver of this price bump. Tariffs are not applied to digital goods, and when the prices were published, there were no tariffs on Japan. Plus, games are similarly expensive in other countries like Canada and the UK.
With that cleared up, why are Nintendo games on the Switch 2 so expensive? One likely reason is game storage.
Read More: All the Nintendo Games You Can Update to Switch 2 for Free
The Switch 2 uses what Nintendo calls game-key cards, which are Switch 2 cartridges that don’t have all the game data on the cartridge itself. This helps save on production costs as storage is expensive. The original Switch cartridges went up to 32GB of storage, which doesn’t seem like a lot these days, with some games taking up 100GB or more of storage, but this is for the original Switch. Only a few games, like The Witcher 3, went above 32GB because the graphics for the Switch weren’t on the high end like with a PC, PS5 or Xbox Series console, where a Witcher 3 install size starts at 50GB.
Switch 2 games are going to be bigger in size — there is little doubt about it. CD Projekt Red confirmed it would put its Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on one 64GB cartridge, and there will likely be other games to surpass that 64GB. With the max size of the cartridge doubling in size, it adds to the price of the physical card, as not only does storage have to be bigger, but they will need to transfer data faster. That can get more expensive for physical copies, unlike optical discs, which are still the same price whether it has 20GB or 100GB on the disc.
What does all this mean for gamers?
This leads to a dilemma for publishers: Put the entire game on the physical card and sell it at a loss, increase the price of the physical copy with the full game on it or use the game-key card to have a card with minimal storage, requiring gamers to download the entire game.
Read More: The 17 Best Nintendo Switch Games Right Now
It appears that Nintendo went with door No. 2. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, knowing the company. Anyone who wants to save money on games knows that Nintendo will seldom bring the price down of its own games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example, is 8 years old and is still full price on Nintendo’s website.
According to an industry analysis from Niko Partners, this new pricing could become the new normal in a couple of years when it comes to physical cartridges.
«While there has been some sticker shock regarding the price of games increasing from $60 to $70 or $80, these price points are set to become industry standard over the next two years, especially so for Nintendo first-party games,» Niko Partners said in a statement Wednesday. «One reason for the higher price is the increased cost of the new and faster Game Cards themselves, with higher capacities being more expensive to manufacture than a PS5 Blu-ray disc.»
Nintendo didn’t respond to a request for comment about the higher price of its games.
That said, this doesn’t explain the lower price of Donkey Kong Bananza, which comes out in July; that’s listed on Nintendo’s site for $70. This could mean the game isn’t using a larger storage card, but that can’t be said for sure until the game comes out. It’s unclear how things will change in the future.
Technologies
Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders in US Delayed Due to Trump’s Tariffs
The Switch 2 launch is still happening on June 5, and preorders outside the US seem unchanged.

Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the US were to start April 9, but it appears those plans have changed due to the new tariffs imposed this week by President Donald Trump. It’s unclear if this means Nintendo will also have to increase the price of the Switch successor, which currently starts at $450.
Nintendo said Friday that it’s delaying Switch 2 preorders in the US, but its June release date is unaffected.
«Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,» the company said in a statement. «Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.»
Nintendo didn’t indicate if preorder dates outside the US would change, but Eurogamer reports that preorders are live at various retailers in the UK.
A tariff of 24% has been applied by the US to goods from Japan. Were that rate to be applied directly to the Switch 2’s announced price, it would rise to $558, but it would be up to Nintendo how much of the tariff it will pass on to consumers.
This is a developing story.
Technologies
Twelve South’s Foldable Wireless Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch Is Up to 27% Off at Amazon
This handy accessory makes it easier to travel with your Apple gear and stay charged wherever you go.

Whether you’re traveling for business or off on a wonderful family vacation, charging your stuff shouldn’t be something you have to worry about. Taking extra chargers and cables can be a pain, and they all take up space in your bag. But the handy Twelve South Butterfly SE charger is a compact alternative that can wirelessly charge an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time. And it’s available with up to 27% off right now at Amazon.
That top line discount applies to the pink version, though the white model is only $7 more and other colors are seeing 15% off the usual $100 price tag if you have a strong preference. It’s not clear how long the discounts will last, though.
Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.
The charger itself offers a way to wirelessly charge a iPhone and Apple Watch from a single AC outlet, and you can even charge your AirPods when your phone is done, too. And because this is a Qi2 charger you’ll get a full 15 watts of wireless charging for compatible devices — including the best iPhones.
When you’re not using the Butterfly SE, it folds up so it can be slid into a pocket, bag or luggage without taking up too much space. It really is the perfect partner for people who like to travel light.
Unfortunately, this charger doesn’t come with an AC adapter in the box, so you’ll need to provide your own. Make sure it’s rated for 20 watts or more. If you need to buy one, Apple’s 20-watt USB-C charger is just $15 right now.
Why this deal matters
We all carry multiple devices around with us these days. Anything that can make charging them more convenient is a win in our books, especially when you’re traveling. This charger takes up little space when it isn’t being used and charges quickly when it is.
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