👀 Watch out for scam reviews, 🎮 Nintendo Switch 2, 💚 Xbox handheld, 🎧 SteelSeries headset review
10 tech stories in the quickest format possible
🐦 Ask Matt Swider on Twitter or Instagram for hand-picked deals from Walmart / Best Buy / Amazon / B&H / Samsung / Google / GameStop / Xbox / Microsoft Office (PC) / MS Office (Mac)
🍎 Coming up
I’m prepping for Tuesday’s big Apple event – the rumored iPad Pro OLED is what I’m eagerly awaiting to review. Why? It’s the first new iPad in a 1.5 years and the biggest refresh since Apple ditched the home button and bezel in 2018.
🎙️ Ask me anything on Tuesday
On Tuesday at 11:15am ET, I’ll host this pre-scheduled X Spaces, as I promised on my SiriusXM radio segment. You can ask me anything following Apple’s event.
🔒 For paid subscribers only
My PlayStation, Nintendo and Apple discount codes have been a hit, and you can get them (while they last) as a paid subscriber (you can use a free trial to nab them, but do consider supporting The Shortcut team if you’re saving money in the process).
$100 PlayStation Gift Card for $84**
$50 Nintendo Gift Card for $39.69
$25 to $150 Apple Gift Card
50% off Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $25.49 (MSRPP is $51)
➡️ I’ll put them at the very bottom of this page until they run out*
*If they run out, I’ll have more discount codes next weekend for subscribers
**If this one sells out (it’ll go FAST) and you subscribe, message me. I’ll put you first in line for the next batch and privately DM you
👀 Spotlight: How Google is trying to kill an independent site
Trust me – I know. It’s a challenge running a website in 2024, and I’m thankful for all of my loyal Twitter/X followers and Substack subscribers. Thanks to 1M of you, Adam, Kevin, and I don’t have to 100% rely on Google Search. But Google is still a juggernaut.
That’s why this piece from HouseFresh, a reviews website focusing on the niche of Air Purifier reviews, is so revealing. Like many independent websites, its recent traffic has tanked 91%, while name-brand publications (Rolling Stone and Buzzfeed are named) outrank them while showing little to no expertise in the specialized product category.
🙏 HouseFresh managing editor Gisele Navarro reached out to me today via X to compliment my expertise in The Shortcut’s Rabbit R1 review: “Your review of the Rabbit R1 is everything that is right with the web.” And yet I’ve fought hard to outrank content by influencers who were paid to love the hobbled AI gadget.
📉 Why it’s happening. Navarro explains, “Big media sites are laying off journalists while partnering with marketing agencies that use AI to write commerce content.”
🤔 What can you do? Know that certain “review” or “ranking” publications never touch (never mind test) products. They go out of their way to recommend to you products that suck (or, in the case of air purifiers, products that blow? 🤷♂️) – just because it’ll drive more affiliate revenue to them.
🙄 Big eye roll: An air purifier HouseFresh calls “one of the worst air purifiers we have tested” somehow gets great ratings from several big-name newspapers and faceless “authors.” You could be duped into buying expensive inferior gadgets by historically trusted brands that prioritize eComm revenue over the truth.
That said, let’s cue my disclaimer about affiliate links, which have no bearing on our reviews – and I’m far, far from a face-less author:
🤏 Long intro, short: Be careful about who you trust – and thank you for trusting me, Adam and Kevin, especially all of you paid subscribers.
Today’s 10-story newsletter continues below the calendar ⤵️
📆 Your Tech Calendar
🍎 May 7, Tues: Apple iPad event at 10am ET
🤖 May 14, Tues: Google IO keynote at 1pm ET
🟦 May 20, Mon: Discover Samsung Spring sale begins
⚔️ May 21, Tues: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox Game Pass)
💥 May 24, Fri: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is in theaters
🧸 May 31, Fri: Hypercharge: Unboxed on Game Pass
💻 June 3, Mon: Computex begins in Taipei (we’ll be there)
🍎 June 10, Mon: Apple WWDC 2024 keynote
⚽ June 14, Fri: UEFA Euro 2024 begins
🥇 July 26, Fri: Summer Olympic Games begin
*If they run out, I’ll have more discount codes next week for subscribers
**If this one sells out and you subscribe, message me. I’ll put you first in line for the next batch and privately DM you
🎮 🧲 1. New Nintendo Switch 2 may use magnetic controllers
More Nintendo Switch 2 details continue to emerge, painting a rather positive picture of the company’s next hybrid console. I want my 2023 tech prediction to come true: Nintendo entering the VR space with a Super Nintendo Switch VR (can you imagine Super Mario in VR?!), but this seems like a more traditional upgrade.
📺 Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades to a 1080p screen, and the existing Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and Joy-Con controllers will work with the device.
🧲 Magnets. It’s also said to use a new magnetic rail system to attach the console’s redesigned Joy-Con. Magnets? Breaking Bad’s Jesse Pinkman approves.
⚙️ Under-the-hood. It should have greater performance disparity when in docked and handheld mode. Nintendo will underclock the console significantly when in handheld mode to maximize battery life and keep it from overheating.
🚀 Where it may take off: If you prefer to play your Switch docked, you should see a bigger graphical and performance boost this time.
💪 The Switch 2 is expected to have higher performance when in docked mode
🔋 Handheld mode will be clocked down to preserve battery life and reduce heat
🤔 It should result in a greater disparity between docked and handheld mode
📆 The Nintendo Switch 2 is predicted to release in March 2025
⏰ Can’t wait? We ranked the 15 current best Nintendo Switch games
💚 2. Microsoft wants to know if you’d buy an Xbox handheld
More evidence points to Microsoft working on an Xbox handheld, as a recent survey went out to players that seemingly test the waters of what’s to come. Participants were asked whether they’d be tempted to buy another handheld in the next three to five years, which ones they already own, and which features they like most.
The survey also asked the participants whether they use Xbox Game Pass on any gaming handheld, how often they use their handheld compared to a console or a PC, and whether being able to stream cloud games is important. It seems like the higher-ups at Microsoft are gathering the information they need before creating an Xbox handheld in the future.
👀 Microsoft has sent out a new survey to gauge interest in an Xbox handheld
🤔 The survey asks whether you’d buy a new handheld in the next three to five years
🎮 It also asks which handhelds you own and what features you enjoy
☁️ Finally, users are asked whether handhelds should be able to stream cloud games
*If they run out, I’ll have more discount codes next week for subscribers
**If this one sells out and you subscribe, message me. I’ll put you first in line for the next batch and privately DM you
🎧 3. White SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro review: the best headset just got better
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro was already on our best PS5 headset and best Xbox Series X headset list, thanks to its super sound quality, all-day comfort, multi-format connectivity, and desirable features. However, SteelSeries has refreshed its Arctis Nova Pro headset for 2024, making a couple of subtle changes that make one of the best gaming headsets even better. Check out the full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro review by clicking the button below.
✅ Infinite battery life
✅ Supreme comfort
✅ Truly customizable sound
❌ Active Noise Canceling still isn’t the best
Editor’s note: This is Adam in the headset. Just to drive home the point that we really, really do test the products we review and rank.
⛔ 4. X changes how you ‘block’ people, solving a nasty Twitter exploit
X has announced it’s changing the way the “block” button works, which is great news for everyone except trolls and scammers. Previously, scammers could use an exploit to block an account but still reply to posts. Users would then be unable to see a scammer or troll’s reply, allowing them to interact with their followers unbeknownst to the blocked account.
According to the X Engineering account, today’s change “enables you to identify and report any potential bad content that you previously could not view, safeguarding both your account and the overall integrity of our platform.”
👏 X is changing how the block button works
👀 You’ll now be able to see the replies of people who have blocked you
👮 This should help users identify and report any potential bad content
👍 X says these efforts are part of its ongoing commitment to aligning the block feature with its principles as a public town square
🔊 5. Walmart to launch a 4K Chromecast that’s also a smart speaker
Walmart could be preparing to release a new Onn “Pro” Google TV 4K streaming box that will also double as a smart speaker. The streaming device was shown off by YouTuber Superdell-TV, which he said he purchased for $50.
The Onn Pro was previously rumored but not yet announced, so it appears Walmart may have stocked and sold it by mistake. The device doesn’t appear on Walmart’s website. According to Superdell-TV, the Onn Pro will support Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, and include 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It’ll also have Wi-Fi 6 support and four rear ports: HDMI, USB 3.0, Ethernet, and an AC port.
😲 A YouTuber has got their hands on Walmart’s new 4K streaming device
🙌 The new Onn Pro supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision
📶 It also has Wi-Fi 6 support, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage
🔜 The device isn’t listed on Walmart’s website but is expected to cost $50
*If they run out, I’ll have more discount codes next week for subscribers
**If this one sells out and you subscribe, message me. I’ll put you first in line for the next batch and privately DM you
🐰 6. The Rabbit R1 update doesn’t fix its biggest problems
The Rabbit R1 has received a new over-the-air software update that makes a couple of minor improvements to the AI device, but it doesn’t add any new features to change our Rabbit R1 review. The update has squashed a few pesky bugs and addressed the device’s fast-draining battery, but it’s still hard to recommend the AI pocket companion for now, even at its $199 price point.
Expect more software updates to arrive in the coming months, but now that it’s been discovered that Rabbit R1 seems to just be an Android app and Apple is set to announce their AI plans at WWDC 24, the bright orange box’s days could be numbered.
🆕 A new update is now available for the Rabbit R1
🪫 It addressed the device’s fast-draining battery life and fixed a few bugs
🙅♂️ However, the pocket AI companion still doesn’t work well enough to recommend
🤦♂️ It also appears to be nothing more than an Android app using custom cloud settings
📺 7. Hisense’s new U9N TV is seriously bright
You might need sunglasses in the presence of the Hisense U9N, as it promises to deliver 5,000 nits of peak brightness with over 5,300 Mini LEDs. It sounds like the TV will be a dream for gamers, promising a 144Hz refresh rate, low-latency, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VRR support.
Prices start at $2,999 for the 75-inch model, which rivals pricier sets from Sony and Samsung. There’s also an 85-inch model if you want to bring the cinema into your living room.
🤩 The Hisense U9N has over 5,300 Mini LEDs in 75 and 85-inch sizes
💡 Both 4K TV sizes feature 5,000 nits of peak brightness
🎮 Gaming-ready 144Hz low-latency with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VRR
💰 Starting at $2,999 for 75 inches, it rivals pricier Sony and Samsung TVs
🆓 8. PS Plus free games for May revealed
Four new games will be available for PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium members to download on May 7. You can look forward to playing EA Sports FC 24, Ghostrunner 2, Tunic, and the Destiny 2: Lightfall expansion.
Remember to download April’s PS Plus free games before they’re gone, or you’ll miss out on Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer. You’ll have until June 3 to grab all of May’s free PS Plus games, and June 17 to redeem EA Sports FC 24.
🆕 Four new games will be available to PS Plus members on May 7
👍 The games include EA Sports FC 24, Ghostrunner 2, Tunic and Destiny 2: Lightfall
📆 You’ll have until June 3 to grab them (June 17 for EA Sports FC 24)
🚨 Don’t forget to download April’s PS Plus free games before they’re gone
🏠 9: Airbnb Icons lets you try to book these fantasy stays for $0
Friend of The Shortcut
got a chance to check out the house from Up, one of several “Airbnb Icons” fantasy stays you can book – if you’re lucky.🎈 What’s Airbnb Icons? A brilliant marketing push by Airbnb building off of past experiences like Shrek’s Swamp, Barbie’s Maliby DreamHouse, Ted Lasso’s Favorite Pub, The Last Blockbuster, and the Home Alone house.
Currently available to attempt to book via the Airbnb app:
🎈 Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up’ house hosted by local curmudgeon Carl Fredricksen ($0 in New Mexico)
🦸♂️ X-Mansion from X-Men hosted by Jubilee ($97 in upstate New York)
🎮 Game crashpad in Milano hosted by TikToker Khaby Lame ($0 in Italy)
🎵🚌 Tour bus hosted by Columbian Reggaeton artist Feid ($0 in Philly)
Is this just a marketing stunt primarily about the buzz? Yes. Would it be worth $0-$97 to book and invite some friends? Also yes. Would I rock the classic X-Men theme song during my entire stay if I booked the X-Mansion? I have one emoji for you: 💯.
🎢🍄 10. Super Nintendo World to get new Donkey Kong and Yoshi rides
Super Nintendo World is getting new attractions that are bound to prove popular with park-goes. Attendees can look forward to a new family-friendly Yoshi’s Adventure ride as well as a thrilling coaster based on the Donkey Kong Country series.
The new attractions will be added to Universal Orlando Resort in 2025 (no word on an expansion for the Burbank location seen in my Super Nintendo World review). The timing will tie in nicely with the expected release date of the Nintendo Switch 2 in March next year. It should also act as a nice appetizer for the next Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, which is due out in April 2026.
🌍 Universal Orlando Resort is adding new attractions to Super Nintendo World
🆕 Attendees can look forward to a new Yoshi’s Adventure ride in 2025
🐵 A family-coaster Donkey Kong Country ride will also be added
📆 Super Nintendo World officially opened on February 17, 2023
🔒 Subscribers only: Best DualSense Edge settings for Stellar Blade
If you’re struggling to get to grips with Stellar Blade’s controls or want an extra advantage during the game’s many boss fights, our DualSesnse Edge controller settings for Stellar Blade can help.
Still haven’t bought Sony’s pro controller? Check out our PS5 DualSense Edge controller review. It’s PlayStation’s answer to the Xbox Elite Series 2.
Also see: our Stellar Blade review if you’re interested in the game.
🔒 Bonus: Discount codes for subscribers
These should last longer, as I’m paywalling them. And if you’re a subscriber, you’ll have access to these codes weekly. Last week, the PlayStation discount code sold out almost immediately, so I’m offering first access to our biggest supporters.
Note: If you’re outside of the US, you’ll need to use a VPN, as checkout requires you to be in (or VPN in) from a US location.
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