Category: Technology

Nintendo will not adjust the Switch’s price point, despite the ongoing semiconductor shortage pushing up the cost of manufacturing.

In Nintendo’s most recent earnings report, it was revealed that the Switch has seen a 23% drop in hardware sales across the April-June quarter. This puts Nintendo’s profit forecast down 29% on its original expectations. The dip in Nintendo’s fortunes is tied to the continuing semiconductor shortage affecting every sector of the consumer electronics industry. Despite the rising cost of producing the popular console, Nintendo says it won’t move its price point to soothe the pain on its bottom line.

In an interview with Nikkei, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said he made the decision to avoid “pricing people out.”

“In order to offer unique entertainment to a wide range of customers, we want to avoid pricing people out,” Furukawa told Nikkei. “Our competition is the variety of entertainment in the world, and we always think about pricing in terms of the value of the fun we offer.”

He also went on to say that he believes the pain is extremely temporary. Holding on the price of the Switch makes sense because, to Furukawa, there’s no reason to panic. Furukawa says Nintendo currently anticipates improvements toward the end of the year, and that it still expects to sell 21 million units by that time. “Beyond that,” he says, “things are uncertain.”

“(The Nintendo Switch) is in its sixth year since its launch. All I can say is that we’ll try to keep up sales at the same pace. Having hit software also gives a boost to hardware,” Furukawa told Nikkei. ”We have a lineup of new games that will allow us to take a crack at meeting our sales forecast, including Splatoon 3 coming out in September and Pokémon Scarlet And Violet in November.”

The refreshed Switch OLED, at a higher price than the standard model, appeared to be bearing the brunt of the shortage. “For the time being, our OLED model will continue to be less profitable than our other models. Costs have undoubtedly increased for shipping not only by air, but also by sea. We’re thinking about what we can do.”

Nintendo’s decision to hold steady on pricing comes only weeks after Meta announced it would raise the price of its Quest 2 virtual reality headset in an effort to curb manufacturing expenditure. The jump, around a $100 on either model, was received poorly by those yet to invest in VR and with relief by those who’d already picked up a headset.

For Australian Nintendo fans looking to pick up a console closer to Christmas, this is a positive sign that stock will remain plentiful come November. For now, fans looking to pick up a Switch or official accessories in the near future should probably call their local retailer ahead of time.

After months of heavy leaks, Samsung’s next foldable phone — Galaxy Z Fold 4 — is finally official. While not a massive upgrade over its predecessor Galaxy Z Fold 3, the new model does bring several notable improvements, making the Galaxy Z Fold 4 Samsung’s most refined foldable yet. The hinge is more compact, ergonomics have improved, cameras and chipset have been upgraded, and there are some new software updates to improve the multitasking experience. In addition, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 also boasts support for all global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), enabling precise location tracking no matter where you are.

GPS support on the Galaxy Z Fold 4

In particular, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 supports four navigation systems, namely, GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou. GPS is short for Global Positioning System, and it’s owned by the United States. GLONASS is a Russian navigation system, while Galileo is operated by the European Union Agency. Finally, BeiDou is a Chinese satellite navigation system.

Support for multiple navigation systems means the Galaxy Z Fold 4 can access more satellite signals to calculate its positioning. This translates to increased location accuracy and a faster fix. You can use an app like GPSTest to see in real-time which Global Navigation satellite systems are being used by your phone for positioning. As a consumer, you probably don’t need to worry about any of these details. Just know that your Galaxy Z Fold 4 has everything to offer a smooth navigation experience when using Google Maps, booking an Uber, or any app that relies on precise location tracking.

Location services are notorious battery hogs, so be sure to keep tabs on apps with location access. Ideally, you only want to grant full location access to critical apps — Google Maps and ride apps, for example. In other cases, take advantage of Android’s one-time permission to only grant temporary location access to an app.

Check out the best Galaxy Z Fold 4 deals if you’re on the fence about getting one. You can save money and score freebies. And don’t forget to pick up a case and a fast charger for your expensive purchase.

EA has announced it will retain the ‘loot box’ model of randomized rewards for its Ultimate Team mode in FIFA 23despite recent UK government-led inquiries into video game monetization systems, and general disappointment of the mechanic from the community.

FIFA’s loot boxes have been criticized for encouraging gambling and overspending, and have been labeled ‘shady’ by some. Despite this, EA is forging ahead – even going so far as to claim loot boxes are beloved by players of FIFA’s Ultimate Team mode, with these microtransactions helping to create a positive, engaging experience.

‘We wholeheartedly believe that Ultimate Team and FUT Packs, which have been part of the game for more than a decade, are a part of FIFA that players love,’ EA recently said in a statement to Eurogamer. ‘Fans love that the game reflects the real-world excitement and strategy of building and managing a squad. Giving players the choice to spend if they want to is fair.’

As meticulously outlined by EA, these loot boxes will remain optional in the Ultimate Team of FIFA 23as they’ve always been, but with a ‘short cut’ easily available for players who don’t wish to grind for the best players, these loot boxes certainly encourage extra spending.

‘Nine out of 10 FUT Packs opened in FIFA 22 were earned,’ EA claimed to Eurogamer, indicating only 10% of players actually purchase loot boxes – but those players who do fork out can earn rewards faster than others, gaining a distinct advantage in online play.

Read: Australia’s Sam Kerr is now a FIFA 23 game cover star

In July 2022, the UK government issued an edict to game developers stating they would need to take action on loot boxes, or legislation would be drawn up to deal with them. The microtransaction system is already banned in several countries in Europe, and the UK government is currently weighing options.

While game developers are being encouraged to proactively reshape the games industry, impactful change will not begin with FIFA 23. As EA made clear, it has no plans to change its loot box system, with Ultimate Team remaining in its current form.

According to Eurogamer, Ultimate Team drives ‘hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue’ for EA with each game iteration, which likely explains why no action has taken place just yet. While the UK government may take a harder stance that forces change in future, expect FIFA 23 to be more of the same, for now.

Elsewhere, one of the first prominent games to feature a loot box system, overwatch, will remove them from the game completely on 30 August 2022.

TAG Heuer’s new Connected Caliber E4 is already one hell of a smartwatch – but its latest, Porsche-inspired rendition makes it the perfect timepiece for performance car lovers.

TAG Heuer has always been intimately connected with motorsports. Indeed, many of the 162-year-old watchmaker’s most ground-breaking innovations arose to answer the needs of drivers, such as the world’s first dashboard chronograph in 1911 or the first rotating tachymeter bezel in 1967.

The new TAG Heuer Connected Caliber E4 Porsche Edition (ref. SBR8A82.EB0264) follows in this tradition, by adding an innovative suite of car-related features to a smartwatch that’s already jam-packed with enormous functionality.

Not only does the Porsche Edition feature a slick frozen blue color scheme and circuit-board-like dial design – inspired by Porsche’s high-tech Taycan electric car – but if you own a Porsche, you can connect your watch to your car and see information about your whip displayed as ‘complications’ on the watch face.

You can see how range your car has left (whether that’s fuel in the tank, charge in the battery or both if you drive a hybrid), display your car’s mileage or can connect to the My Porsche app to quickly control vehicle heating and air conditioning – all from your watch.

RELATED: Boost Your Golf Game With TAG Heuer’s Newest Smartwatch

This is all on top of the Connected Caliber E4’s pre-existing range of apps and features, such as its guided workout capability; sports apps including running cycling, swimming and golf; an accelerometer, heart rate monitor, compass, GPS and altimeter, as well as the ability to show off your NFT collection or take phone calls.

Whether you own a Porsche or not, the Connected Porsche Edition is an exceptionally stylish and capable smartwatch that’s bound to get your racing heart. Check it out at TAG Heuer’s online boutique here.

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The next generation of Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series and AMD Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards is nearly here, and consumers expect the biggest performance jump in graphics card history.

However, this jump will not come without a cost. Looking at the expected performance metrics, it would not be too far-fetched to assume that the next generation graphics cards will come with a hefty price increase.

The new generation is not here just yet, but for gamers looking to buy a shiny new graphics card, the months leading up to the latest products are a fantastic time to consider a new purchase.

This deal might tempt consumers to pull the trigger on a new purchase. AMD’s RX 6900 XT is selling for just $699 at Newegg.

This model is the Gigabyte Gaming OC version of the RX 6900 XT. Gigabyte’s Gaming OC is an impressive model, especially at a price. While this model does not offer much over AMD’s reference model, consumers should be pleased to know that the current price is 30% lower than MSRP.

In terms of performance, AMD’s RX 6900 XT is no slouch. AMD has shown exceptional results with the RDNA 2 line-up, and the RX 6900 XT does not deviate from this trend. The GPU trades blows with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Testing from Hardware Unboxed shows the RX 6900 XT being only 5% slower at 4K resolution than the RTX 3080 12GB. Nvidia RTX 3080 12GB costs as low as $780, making the Radeon RX 6900 XT a perfect option at a lower price.

The Radeon RX 6900 XT is perfect for users looking to transition to 4K gaming. AMD’s GPU is equipped with 16GB of Vram, more than enough for any 4K title. Given the graphics card’s 4K performance, lower resolutions are no problem for the AMD RX 6900 XT. A few benchmarks from AMD can be seen below.

AMD’s Radeon RX 6900 XT is a steal at the price of $699. Products like the AMD RX 6600 have seen similar price drops. The 6900 XT is equipped with all the features needed in a modern gaming GPU, and an all-time low price certainly helps make it an even better purchase.

Check Out More News: GeForce RTX 4070 70% Better Performance Than RTX 3080 At Same Power Draw.