Nintendo Switch will launch without a Virtual Console

With the Switch launch only eight days away, Nintendo has finally broken its silence on what online features gamers can expect at launch. Disappointingly, the gaming giant revealed that early adopters won't be able to dip into the game company's vast back catalog, with Nintendo confirming that the Switch's Virtual Console service won't be there day one.

In a bid to appease fans, Nintendo has revealed that the F-Zero inspired indie racer FAST RMX will be arriving on the eShop day one, alongside two entries in the Shovel Knight series. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the game's latest campaign which will be a timed exclusive for the Nintendo Switch. Alongside this, Yacht Club Games will also be bringing Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove to the eShop for launch - which serves as a collection of all the existing series content to date.

In addition to these last-minute launch titles, Nintendo has confirmed that 2017 will see over 60 different 'Nindie' games hitting the eShop on Switch. The Kyoto-based company has revealed that it will talk more about the flurry of new indie titles coming to Switch during a video presentation next Tuesday.

Gamers who have already added funds to the eShop on 3DS or Wii U will be pleased to learn that their balance will carry over, thanks to Switch's use of Nintendo Network IDs. The announced also revealed that Switch's home screen will include a News feature, updating gamers on the latest additions to the eShop and other Nintendo-related news.

Unsurprisingly, Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch will require a day one update in order to access the eShop. Thankfully, the update will download in the background, meaning that your precious Zelda time won't be interrupted. While we have yet to play the new Shovel Knight campaign, I was thoroughly impressed with how well FAST RMX ran on the Switch at a recent preview event. For any early adopters looking for an enjoyable racer, FAST RMX looks to be a solid choice.

The lack of Virtual Console at launch may be disappointing, but with only five games previously announced for March 3rd, at least the Switch's bare-bones launch lineup just got considerably bigger.

Bethesda shows the insane shape-shifting potential of 'Prey'

In the upcoming Prey, Mankind is in serious trouble. With the alien Typhon over-running the once prosperous Talos 1 space station our fate falls into the hands of unlikely protagonist, Morgan Yu. Having been experimented on and given Typhon abilities, the latest trailer shows Yu learning to mimic his surroundings, opting to defend the human race by turning into vaguely useful household objects.

Using these unique abilities, players will be able to harness the deadly power of objects found on the space station, transforming into lamps, teapots and even a freshly-ripened banana.

While these powers are unlikely to strike fear into the hearts of the demonic Typhon, the I Am Bread-esque shenanigans allow players to solve unique puzzles and access new areas. Thankfully, As Yu levels up the Mimic Matter ability, he can transform into more intimidating objects, eventually controlling the likes of Operator robots and security turrets.

Prey will also feature a slew of other Typhon abilities, including the power to control the minds of other humans. Serving as a reboot to the 2006 FPS of the same name, fans were disappointed to learn that this new entry in the franchise wasn't the resurrection of the cancelled Prey 2. After spending some time with the upcoming game however, we're pleased to say that the new Prey is shaping up to a unique and tense experience - and one that constantly kept us guessing.

The game will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on the 5th of May.

Samsung's Gear VR returns with a motion controller

While there was no shortage of new Samsung hardware, the company's MWC showcase also had a new Gear VR headset to show off, with a new controller. Adding motion input (as well as a few more buttons) lets you navigate and interact with VR content without having to paw at the headset's buttons like we had to do previous iterations. Alongside a clickable touchpad, there's a trigger, home, back and volume keys. The controller also has an accelerometer, gyrometer and magnetic sensors built-in, and the new hardware will work with Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, the Note 5, as well as the Galaxy S6 series.

The controller, which looks nothing like Oculus' own Touch peripherals, also comes with a wrist strap, offering a Wii-esque form of safety against flying controllers. The new Gear VR headset packs in 42mm lenses with a 101-degree field of view and improved distortion correction tech to further reduce motion sickness, and if you don't need the controller, there's a strap built into the headset to house it. The controller itself doesn't need charging -- you just need to replace a AAA battery inside. A spokesperson says that more than 70 new controller titles are already in development, and existing touchpad apps will also work with the remote.

We'll be looking to strap on the new version as soon as we can, and see how it compares to Google's Daydream View, which also packed a controller. Expect to hear more from us soon!

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

GoPro's deal with Huawei gives it a foothold in smartphones

Don't look now, but GoPro just shifted a little toward becoming a mobile app company. The action camera maker has struck a deal with Huawei that will see its intelligent video editor, Quik, integrated with the photo gallery app in the P10, P10 Plus and other smartphones packing newer versions of Huawei's EMUI interface. The centerpiece is a Highlights feature that uses Quik to automatically whip up a video based on your photos and videos, complete with backing music. Think of it as a more video-focusd spiritual successor to HTC's Zoe.

Appropriately, GoPro is sprucing up the stand-alone Quik app for Android and iOS users. There's an easier editing flow with new options to both personalize and stylize videos (similar to what P10 owners get), and it should be easier to pick songs and fine-tune the sound.

The Huawei move certainly doesn't signal an exit from hardware any time soon -- that's GoPro's bread and butter. Along with the Karma drone, however, it does signal a further attempt to diversify beyond GoPro's original camera business. Success with partnerships like this not only puts GoPro's technology in front of more people, it gives the company a source of revenue that isn't tied to its device release cycles -- it might not have to worry so much about taking its time with a new camera.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

The Huawei Watch 2 is a strong showcase for Android Wear 2

ndroid Wear 2.0 just made its debut on a pair of LG-made watches, and as expected, we're starting to see other companies show off their own takes on the new system. Huawei is unveiling its Watch 2 at MWC 2017, which runs the new Google OS in a sportier body. It will be available in the US starting in April, and in some European countries in March for 349 Euros (about $350). From my brief time with preview versions of the new timepiece, which is also available in a Classic model, I'm already impressed by how comfortably light and sturdy they are.

Gallery: Huawei Watch 2 hands-on | 8 Photos

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The classic Watch 2, with its black face and leather band, is very basic-looking -- so much so that instead of calling it wrist candy, you'd be better off calling it wrist... salad. But what it lacks in style, it makes up for with comfort and quality. The watch's round 1.2-inch face (which is the same size as the LG Watch Style's, by the way) is surrounded by an etched ceramic bezel that, despite somewhat engulfing the otherwise dainty display, adds a premium feel to the device. The hybrid leather band is smooth leather on top and jointed rubber on the underside, making it look good on the outside while feeling comfortably flexible.

The regular model, on the other hand, has a sportier design than its relatively vanilla counterpart. I liked the yellow accents on the grey/yellow one I tried, and I was surprised and pleased at how light the Sport felt without coming off cheap. Other color options of the Watch 2 include black and bright orange bands. If you prefer a strap of your own, you can easily swap one out using the clasp on the underside.

Unlike the LG Watch Style and Watch Sport, the new Huawei wearables don't offer a rotating crown on the side of their face. That's a bit of a bummer, since Android Wear 2.0's new scrolling interface, which can be controlled by the knob on the LG devices, was one of our favorite new features. You can still use your finger to scroll up and down pages of apps or notifications, which isn't as fast, but is at least an improvement over Android Wear's originally swipe-heavy navigating system.

Not only is the Watch 2's look sportier, but its software has some bonuses for fitness fans as well. Huawei has added its own Fit feature that customizes workout plans for specific activities such as running, cycling or hanging out on the treadmill. No worries if the watch gets wet with your sweat or if you are caught in the rain mid-jog: the device meets IP68 industry standards for water resistance and will survive.

The rest of the Huawei Watch 2's specs aren't bad, either. You'll get NFC support for Android Pay and a heart rate sensor on both the regular and Classic versions, which are two features the LG Watch Style did not offer. The regular Watch 2 will also have LTE support in certain regions, although it's not clear if that will be available in US models. Both editions of the Watch 2 are powered by the same Snapdragon 2100 chipset as is on the LG models. But Huawei has a big lead over LG here in one key area: battery life. By squeezing a 420mAh cell in these devices, Huawei promises up to two days worth of endurance for the new wearables. Plus, with a new feature called Watch Mode, which disables everything except for a watchface and the pedometer, the Watch 2 can last an impressive 25 days.

That's a pretty lofty claim -- one we're hoping to be able to test out very soon. At just €329 (roughly $350), the Watch 2 is reasonably priced for what it offers. It will be available stateside in April, when we'll know exactly how much it will retail here for. Meanwhile, those hoping for promising Android Wear 2.0 alternatives to the LG watches have something to look forward to.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Sony has sold nearly 1 million PlayStation VR headsets

Ever since PlayStation VR, speculation has been rampant: is console-based virtual reality here to stay, or will it die an early death? Apparently, its near-term future is secure. Sony's Andrew House tells the New York Times that the company had sold 915,000 PSVR headsets as of February 19th, just over four months after its October 13th debut. That doesn't sound like much for a company that has sold tens of millions of PlayStation 4s, but it's well ahead of expectations -- Sony had hoped to reach the 1 million mark by mid-April. Sales might have been better still if the company hadn't been purposefully cautious with production, leading to shortages centered primarily in its home turf of Japan.

Play time in VR is also going up, House adds. While many PSVR experiences are short, Resident Evil 7's support for VR throughout the entire game has doubled the average play length. In other words, it's a technology that may be hitting its stride as developers learn to craft more than tech demos and mini games.

It's not certain how well that stands in comparison to PC-based VR headsets. However, SuperData Research estimates that there were 243,000 Oculus Rift units sold through the end of 2016, and 420,000 HTC Viveunits. If the real figures are reasonably close, that makes Sony the leading VR maker on the planet despite having a smaller amount of time to build its user base.

A sales victory wouldn't exactly be surprising. PSVR requires a much smaller investment than its rivals -- even if you splurge on a PS4 Pro and a full VR bundle, you're spending far less than it takes to get a high-end PC VR headset and a computer powerful enough to handle it. And that's not including the physical space you need for room-scale VR experiences with PCs. Combine that with a healthy game library and console VR is likely to remain the front-runner for a while, at least until prices for headsets and VR-worthy PCs drop to the point where they're no longer luxuries.

MIT's 'Super Smash Bros.' AI can compete with veteran players

For expert players, most video game AI amounts to little more than target practice -- especially in fighting games, where it rarely accounts for the subtleties of human behavior. At MIT, though, they've developed a Super Smash Bros. Melee AI that should make even seasoned veterans sweat a little. The CSAIL team trained a neural network to fight by handing it the coordinates of game objects, and giving it incentives to play in ways that should secure a win. The result is an AI brawler that has largely learned to fight on its own -- and is good enough to usually prevail over players ranked in the top 100 worldwide.

Lead researcher Vlad Firoiu tells our TechCrunch colleagues that the SSBMAI is at once very calculating and knowingly reckless. It will sometimes turtle (that is, refuse to attack) until it's sure there's an opening, but it will just as readily leap off the stage when it sees an opportunity for a quick but relatively risky victory. And since this is AI, it has reflexes that humans can't usually match.

This doesn't mean that you're going to see the neural network participating in formal competition, like you saw with Google's DeepMind. It doesn't know how to deal with projectiles (rendering it useless with many SSBMcharacters), and you can make it panic if you hide in the corner. However, this is a good demonstration of how deep learning AI can cope with new environments. It also suggests that game developers could use neural networks to provide a serious single-player challenge at the highest skill levels, giving pros a way to practice when similarly-ranked rivals aren't available.

Say hello (again) to the Nokia 3310

he rumors were true. The Nokia 3310 is back. Courtesy of new brand owner HMD, the phone is returning with a mixture of 3310 charm and some specification upgrades. The good news: it's cheap (around $50), it has Snake, those nostalgic ringtones of yesteryear and seems pretty darn indestructible again. It's an iconic phone, but one that's over 15 years old. That's a long time in mobile. A lot of people are going to want one. Do you?

Gallery: Nokia 3310 hands-on | 11 Photos

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When you pick up the new 3310, it's immediately endearing. I'm not sure whether that's due to the bright plastic shell, the reliable click of the number pad, or the sheer ridiculousness of the proposition. I was 15 years old, when the original launched. I still owned a hulking Motorola brick with giant aerial, giant black buttons and no cool points whatsoever. I wanted a 3310.

For 2017, Nokia and HMD have modernized the design and hardware. The device has smoother, curved lines, and we got to play with the glossy orange and yellow options. The 3310 will also launch in matte blue and gray finishes, which sound traditional if a little boring. Despite the new design, it's still incredibly comfortable to hold, especially in these times of flat touchscreen slates, and you might be surprised to see a (two-megapixel!) camera peering out from the back.

The updates don't stop there. There's also a color screen (gasp!) and many more internal upgrades (micro-USB charging port, headphone jack, microSD storage and Bluetooth), but it's an unmistakably old school dumbphone. There's no WiFi, no GPS, no app store. The price reflects this: At €49, just over fifty bucks, it's almost an impulse buy. It's like the NES mini for Nokia fans. Although it's not quite as charming.

You might have genuine reasons picking one up. The spartan 3310 feature list includes slow-speed 2.5G internet, calls, texts, low-fi photos, and Snake-- albeit a completely new iteration which is pretty different. Those limited talents could make it an ideal first phone for keeping in touch with children, a festival phone, or a phone for the beach when you don't want any work emails or social network noise. (The built-in Opera Mini browser can handle Twitter and Facebook at a push.) Nokia added that the battery is good for almost a month on standby.

However, let's not fool ourselves: this is unashamed fan service for the many millions that picked a Nokia as their first phone. It might have even been a 3310. The company is trading in on that nostalgia, as it tries to drag its phones into the future at the same time. The phone arrives globally in Q2 later this year.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

NASA starts wind tunnel tests for its quiet supersonic jet

NASA's plans for a quiet supersonic jet, the QueSST, just became tangible: the agency and Lockheed Martin have started wind tunnel tests for the future X-plane. It's a scale model at this stage, but it will be subjected to winds as high as Mach 1.6 (950MPH) to gauge both its aerodynamic performance as well as parts of its propulsion system. The tests should run until the middle of 2017.

Whether or not QueSST moves beyond these tests will depend on funding approval. If it does get the go ahead, though, the next step is making an honest-to-goodness aircraft poised to fly in 2020. That goal is still a long way off, but it now seems more achievable than it did a year ago.

Samsung's Galaxy Book crams desktop power in portable body

amsung may not be ready to unveil the Galaxy S8 smartphone just yet, but it still has fancy new hardware for us here at MWC. In addition to the Tab S3, the company is showing off two new hybrids that it's calling the Galaxy Book. They're 10- and 12-inch Windows 10 tablets that support new S Pen features, come with keyboards and are light enough to carry around. They're well designed and performed quickly during a brief hands-on, and apart from the S Pen support, there are a few small features that differentiate the Galaxy Books from rival Windows 10 convertibles.

Gallery: Meet Samsung's new Galaxy Books | 18 Photos

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The larger Book is the more full-featured and more compelling option of the two new slates. Despite its relatively svelte 7.4mm profile, the 12-incher sports Intel's latest Kaby Lake Core i5 processor, an LTE radio, 4GB or 8GB of RAM and a 128GB or 256GB SSD. That's pretty promising, performance-wise, for a tablet convertible that's this portable, although it's important to note that the 10-inch unit comes with a Core M processor instead. When bundled with its included keyboard, though, the 12-inch Book still felt somewhat hefty when I picked it up, but not noticeably heavier or lighter than a similarly sized laptop.

Like the just-announced Tab S3, both Galaxy Books will support the new S Pen, which can detect up to 4,096 levels of pressure with its fine 0.7mm nib. S Pen fans will find some familiar features here, such as Screen Off Memo and the Air Command shortcut menu for outlining screenshots and annotating PDFs. A new function that Samsung believes will excite artists and designers is the pen's ability to understand the angle at which you are tilting it. So say you are holding the stylus at a 60-degree angle from the screen. Compatible programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, can integrate that slant into your brushstrokes. During my testing, this wasn't working very well: Photoshop thought I was holding the brush upright, even though I was holding it horizontally.

Another feature that Samsung has brought over from its phones to these Windows tablets is its Flow software, which lets you get smartphone notifications on your laptop's screen. Flow also lets you easily share files across Samsung devices, or remote-control each other.

With a 2,160 x 1,440 AMOLED display, the twelve-inch model should also provide enjoyable multimedia playback and gaming. And Samsung has brought the HDR support its TVs offer to the larger Book's screen, giving it a wider color gamut that makes videos and images more vibrant. Of course, the content itself will have to be in HDR, which means you'll have to hunt for videos and photos with that effect to truly see the difference. It was definitely noticeable during our demo, where an HDR video looked richer and had higher contrast than the same clip without. Unfortunately, that's just on the 12-inch Book. The 10-inch version uses a full HD LCD display that doesn't support HDR.

Because they were designed to be portable, the Galaxy Books also sport generous 30- and 39-watt-hour batteries on the 10- and 12-inch flavors, respectively. Samsung says these will last approximately 10 hours, and thanks to quick-charge support, you shouldn't have to wait too long to get back to 100 percent.

Of the two new tablets, the 12-inch is clearly the more compelling option. It has the superior screen, a desktop-level processor and a slimmer profile. But it'll surely come at a higher price than its smaller brother. Too bad we don't know how much either will cost just yet, although it's likely they will cost about the same as the latest Surface Book. Until then, the new S Pen features make Samsung's Windows convertibles slightly more useful than before, but we'll have to spend more time with the devices to know if they're truly worth considering.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.