Technologies

Nintendo, You Lost Me: The Switch 2 Isn’t Worth the Upgrade for Cozy Gamers

Commentary: The original Switch rekindled my love of gaming, but Nintendo has done little to entice me to upgrade — at least for now.

I’ve been looking forward to the Nintendo Switch 2 ever since it was announced, but after Wednesday’s launch event I’m not convinced I’ll ever upgrade to the new console. That’s because I have the distinct feeling that unlike its predecessor, this isn’t a console designed for cozy gamers like me.

Gaming means many different things to different people, and for a long time, I’d resigned myself to the idea that it just wasn’t for me. That wasn’t because I’d never enjoyed playing games, but the simulation, puzzle and strategy games I liked playing as a child and teenager didn’t seem to be a priority to publishers or console makers as the focus shifted toward increasingly demanding AAA games. Once my brother traded in our family PS2 for an Xbox, I considered my gaming days over.

Even though there’s long been a thriving indie game scene that I’ve occasionally dipped my toe into, I’ve never enjoyed sitting in front of a PC to game. Instead, it was the launch of the original Nintendo Switch that brought me back into gaming in a big way. Here was a console that didn’t take itself too seriously, with endless opportunities for casual, cozy gamers like me to indulge in less intense, less power-hungry titles, either with friends on our TVs or on a long-haul flight (when there’s nothing better than losing myself in a game where I pretend to be a bear running a bed-and-breakfast).

I was one of many who poured hours into Animal Crossing, but there’s a whole world of cozy games available on the Switch, with publishers releasing new titles all the time, and they’re wildly popular. One of the most recent launches, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, which came out in February, sold half a million copies in its first 30 days alone.

The serious side of the Switch 2

When the Switch 2 was announced, I was ready to see my favorite console level up, but based on Wednesday’s announcements, I see very little to get excited about for cozy gamers like myself. In fact, I think Nintendo risks alienating us with this upgrade.

I was hoping that at least one of the games announced at launch would be something to excite existing Animal Crossing fans, but no such luck. It seems to me that with a focus on more-demanding and serious titles, including The Duskbloods exclusive, the Switch is shaking off its fun and family-friendly identity to better compete with the likes of the Xbox and the PlayStation.

The Switch 2 even looks more serious. The formerly brightly hued Joy-Con controllers are now black, with a nod to their red and blue predecessors only via a ring of color around the joysticks. It reminds me more of a Steam Deck than a Nintendo console.

That said, it is still early days for the Switch 2, and just because cozy gamers aren’t being prioritized at launch doesn’t mean there won’t be future enticements to look forward to. The newly introduced mouse functionality on the Switch 2 could open up more possibilities down the line for strategy and simulation games, many of which can fall within the cozy game genre.

I’ll be keeping my eye out for future releases that are more up my street, in the hope that the Switch 2 is eventually worth the upgrade. In the meantime, you can find me curled up in bed feeding my livestock and romancing every villager in turn in Stardew Valley on my original Switch.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter B.

Wordle hint No. 4: Down on the farm

Today’s Wordle answer describes a piece of farm equipment.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a machine for making paper, hay, or cotton into bales.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is BALER.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 4, No. 1476 was CURVE.

Recent Wordle answers

June 30, No. 1472: BLINK

July 1, No. 1473: MOLDY

July 2, No. 1474: INCUR

July 3, No. 1475: POPPY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 5, #489

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

The theme of today’s NYT Strands puzzle isn’t terribly tough, but at least one of the words is unusual and really, really long to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Every second counts.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Does anybody really know what time it is?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

DIAL, SOLE, MOLE, MOLES, SHAKE, CHEEP, ROLE, HOME, LOCK, MEAT, TAME, TAMES, ROLES, ROON, TRON

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

CLOCK, WATCH, SUNDIAL, HOURGLASS, CHRONOMETER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is TIMEKEEPERS. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare

Microsoft Authenticator has already stopped autofilling passwords, but the biggest change comes next month.

In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.

Attila Tomaschek, CNET’s software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNET.

«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» Tomaschek said.

Using the same password for several accounts or adding personal hints can be a convenient way to remember your login. But that puts you at a big risk for scammers, identity theft and fraud. Here’s more on Microsoft’s plan for eliminating passwords and how to make the switch to passkeys before August.

When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords?

Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here’s a timeline of other changes you can expect from Microsoft.

July 2025: You won’t be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.

Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords?

So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.

Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.

How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator

Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.

To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.