It works with Switch and Switch 2 Joy-Con. | Image: The Verge
A company named Fastsnail has won the race when it comes to making a Joy-Con charging accessory that’s better than Nintendo’s and any other third-party maker. Its charging dock can charge the Joy-Con for the original Switch and for the Switch 2. Each charging port can accommodate either the rail-based charging connector of the Switch, or the proprietary connector of the Switch 2 model (it’s not magnetized; the Joy-Con 2’s charging port fits onto the dock’s connector). Compared to Nintendo’s $30 Joy-Con charger, which can only charge two Switch 1 controllers at a time, this is a smarter purchase. Normally $24.99, it’s now $19.99 at Amazon.
I’ve had my hands on this charger recently, and it works as advertised. It includes a USB-C to USB-A cable for plugging into your Switch’s dock. The LEDs indicate when a connected Joy-Con is charging (by turning orange) or not in need of a charge (by showing a blue light). A touch-activated button switches the Fastsnail charging dock on or off. I’ve noticed that the dock’s bright blue LEDs will turn on by themselves sometimes without Joy-Con attached, so keep that in mind if you intend to use it in the same room you sleep in.
Other great deals for your Monday
Vizio makes a 2.1 sound system (model SV210M-0808) that includes a 30-inch soundbar with rounded edges and a wireless subwoofer. If you’re looking for an affordable way to improve your TV’s sound, this one’s for you. Originally $169.99, this sound system is $85.99 at multiple retailers including Best Buy and eBay. It’s sleek, albeit limited in terms of function and ports. It supports HDMI eARC, allowing it to receive uncompressed audio over HDMI from your TV, but that’s the only input on this soundbar, and it doesn’t include a remote. Instead, you can control it with the Vizio mobile app, or program your TV remote. This model includes QuickFit brackets that make it easy to mount to the bottom of select Vizio TV models.
The HP Victus is the company’s budget gaming laptop lineup, and it’s usually a great model to look for a deal on. There are numerous configurations, and at least one of them is usually selling at a steep discount. Today’s pick is at Best Buy on a 15.6-inch model that has a 144Hz 1080p screen, AMD’s Ryzen 7 7445HS processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, an Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics chip, and a 512GB SSD. Originally $899.99, this laptop is $699.99 right now. That’s a great price for a first gaming laptop. If either the RAM or SSD storage amounts (or both) are giving you pause, both specs can be upgraded on the cheap. This video can show you how.
Nvidia’s GeForce Now is a stellar cloud game streaming service if you have PC games you’d like to play on-the-go. The service gives you access to a powerful virtual PC, and you can control the stream through a number of devices, including an iPad, a laptop, and a Steam Deck. Through July 6th, you can get 40 percent off a six-month subscription to its mid-tier Performance service, which provides ad-free 1440p resolution gameplay, short queue times, and ray tracing in games that support it. Normally $49.99, the subscription is $29.99.
