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When Elon Musk took his feud with Donald Trump to his social network, how long had I avoided the service in question? Long enough that my browser actually failed to autocomplete the URL Twitter.com (which I'd kept typing, like many users, in futile defiance of X). This felt like a subtle warning from a friend: Dude, you've been sober for six months. Are you sure a bar is the best place to be right now?

But with apologies to Bluesky and Threads, this particular bar was the only place to be as the world's richest man and the U.S. President tore into each other Thursday. In a flurry of posts and replies, Musk went as far as suggesting Trump be impeached.

Prominent hard-right followers of both men, forced to take sides, were drawn into a catfight for the ages, while the main concern of detractors was whether they had enough popcorn for this.

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For one night, at least, old-school Twitter was back — in bar terms, the "Cheers" of the internet.

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After 15 years of posting, I went dark on X/Twitter after the U.S. election. This was my response to Elon Musk's new can't-opt-out-of-AI-training terms of service and his ability to evade the service's fact-checking; It was also a way to stop doomscrolling and thus gain many hours of productivity back in my day. But I was far from alone.

X's user base was in decline in 2024 and was expected to keep declining in 2025. That's definitely true in the EU, where more than 11 million users have fled Musk's service this year. And while Bluesky and Threads user numbers climbed after the election, the numbers don't quite match. Plenty of exhausted users simply left X for ... real life.

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It's too soon to know whether the Musk-Trump feud created a Daily Active User bump, and way too soon to see its effect on the more telling stat, Monthly Active Users. But down at ground level, it certainly felt like a reunion — with some suggesting we had a new contender for something old-school users like to debate, the "best night on Twitter." (So much so that some right-wing accounts wondered whether Trump and Musk were just trolling us — but no, according to multiple reports, the break is real and continues Friday.)

It wasn't just Twitter, of course; Trump's own social network seemed to creak under the strain of traffic to his posts. But this too created a screenshot that went viral on, of course, Twitter.

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The appeal wasn't just that Musk was making X/Twitter his war room. It was also where you were most likely to see other zingers from interested parties, including ones Musk might prefer to avoid.

Case in point: This tweet from a prominent conservative author and mother of Musk's 14th child.

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Fuel for the feud was provided by the fact that X/Twitter itself has a long memory — an archive that Bluesky et al will always struggle to match. Musk, furious that Trump's "big beautiful bill" would increase the deficit, started posting quote tweets of every time Trump had promised to lower it, adding snarky comments in agreement.

But old tweets cut both ways, and many users were keen to point out one particular bromantic statement of Trump love from Musk back in February:

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The fact that the messy breakup erupted at the start of Pride month didn't evade notice either — especially given the fact that both Trump and Musk have a rocky relationship with the LGBTQ community.

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Is the return of what we might call "popcorn Twitter" enough to reverse the long-term decline of X's user base? That, for now, is as up-in-the-air as the Trump-Musk relationship.

But for one night at least, the service reminded us of what it could be: Not just a global town square, not just a news source that often trades veracity for immediacy, but a bar where a connected crowd of millions serves up the best snark on the planet.

And I, for one, will raise a single tentative glass to that.

The warm welcome for a technology executive whose purchases of the president’s digital coin won him a White House tour illustrates inconsistencies in the administration’s views toward visitors from China.

Whiskey stones, funny T-shirts, and cheap cologne — these might be classic man gifts, but unique gifts for men, they are not. The special guys in your life deserve better. While searching for the perfect gift, you may have learned the hard way that finding unique gifts for men isn’t always such a simple task, especially if they have more eclectic, off-the-beaten-path tastes. To find the perfect present for these types of guys — whether they’re your dad, brother, best friend, boyfriend , or husband — you’ll need to do some creative thinking and get something they would have never thought of buying for themselves. For Christmas, birthday gifts, Valentine's Day, and anniversary gifts, these are our picks for the most unique and interesting gift ideas for your favorite guy.

Whatever the occasion that has you looking for dad gifts (Father's Day, Christmas, Hanukkah), stay far away from clichés like whiskey stones and pocket knives. Unless your dad is an avid tie collector and seriously *lives* for ties, then avoid this played-out gift too. Instead, get him something that says, “I see your hobbies and I respect them."

A senior judge said on Friday that lawyers could be prosecuted for presenting material that had been “hallucinated” by artificial intelligence tools.

When YouTube introduced its Premium Lite tier in March, the goal was to give people a way to see fewer ads on YouTube. It took only three months, but YouTube is already increasing the number of ads that Premium Lite subscribers will see, according to Dextero.

News of the ad hike spread to subscribers through email, as spotted on the TWiT Community forums and reported by German news site Deskmodder.

“We are writing to let you know that beginning 30 June 2025, ads may appear on Shorts, in addition to music content and when you search or browse,” the email reads. “Most videos will continue to remain ad-free.”

The good news is that if you don’t engage with music videos or YouTube Shorts, then you likely won’t see much of a difference when using the app, aside from a few ads while browsing. Those who do use YouTube for music and Shorts will be the most affected. Even though YouTube Music subscription numbers aren’t the best, YouTube itself continues to be one of the Internet’s most popular music streaming services, so the change will likely affect quite a few people. 

When it was introduced, Premium Lite was billed as a way to remove the ads from “most videos” for $7.99 per month, which is just over half the price of the full $13.99 YouTube Premium subscription. 

YouTube and its users have had a complicated relationship when it comes to ads. The streaming giant went to war on ad blockers in 2024, making ads as difficult as possible to block. In addition, ads have slowly gotten longer and more plentiful on the free version of the service, which has resulted in a lot of negative feedback from viewers. 

And for free users, certain ads are slated to get even more intrusive. In May, YouTube announced that it was using AI to pinpoint the peak moments in any given video and choose that moment to do an ad break. These Peak Points are a move long-used in television, where viewers have to wait for the ad break to view the conclusion to dramatic cliffhangers or otherwise emotional moments. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 is here. That means Mario Kart World is also here, and there are some new tricks up Mario's sleeves (and everyone else's sleeves too, even the characters who don't have arms) to learn if you want to stay in the competition.

Aside from the fact that Mario Kart World introduces a big ol' open-world to the series for the first time, it also introduces some key new mechanics. There's legitimate technique to some of this stuff, so you'd better practice in free roam mode first. Let's get into it.

SEE ALSO: The best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories include an irresistible Piranha Plant webcam Mario Kart World: 3 important new tricks to try

It all starts with one new move in particular.

The charge jump

Before you start doing anything else, you need to understand that Mario Kart World has a brand new charge jump move that is key to doing the other things I'll tell you about next.

It's very simple: Hold the drift button (that's ZR by default) without moving the analog stick in either direction. After a couple of seconds, you'll see sparks underneath your kart, meaning that you'll do a little vertical hop when you release the button. This is useful for clearing small gaps or maybe, if your timing is good, avoiding certain obstacles or harmful items. However, that's not all it's useful for.

Grinding Out here grinding. Credit: Nintendo

You may have noticed a lot of rails or rail-like objects littered around every track in Mario Kart World. It turns out you can grind on those like it was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or something. It's cool!

Some rails start out flush with the ground, so you can just ride onto those and start grinding. But for the most part, a lot of them are just high enough off of the ground that you need to do the charge jump to get up there. This is where proper technique starts to come into play, as you can't just instantly charge jump at your leisure. It takes a couple of seconds, so you need to learn your routes and plan ahead.

Grinding builds up charge sparks while you're on the rail, which you can cash in by pressing the drift button to jump off the rail back onto the road. You can also jump from one rail to another this way in certain circumstances, which is useful for completing certain P-switch challenges in free roam mode.

Wall riding I don't think cars can do that. Credit: Nintendo

The second big new mechanic that's attached to the charge jump is the ability to ride on vertical walls. It's as simple as charging up a jump and then, well, jumping into a wall.

I've admittedly not gotten very good at this yet. It's probably the most technical aspect of Mario Kart World's gameplay, and is clearly meant for high-level shortcuts and certain more challenging P-switch challenges. But like grinding, you build up boost while you're wall riding, which means you'll go faster if you properly time your jump back onto the track.

Now go and use this knowledge to dominate Knockout Tour online. Or, at least, dominate your friends while playing with GameChat.

If you are one of the more than 100 million people who use AT&T, you might want to take stock of your data.

Hackers said they accessed and leaked millions of AT&T customers' private information after the ShinyHunters group allegedly stole the data in April 2024, according to a new report from Hack Read. The report claimed some 86 million AT&T customer records have been leaked, including full names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and social security numbers. In total, Hack Read reported that 44 million social security numbers were included in the leaked data.

The social security numbers and birth dates were encrypted in the original hack by the ShinyHunters group, a leak that was made possible by security flaws in the Snowflake cloud data platform, as Mashable previously reported. Now, Hack Read has reported that this sensitive data is now decrypted.

We asked AT&T about the reported leak of their customer data. An AT&T spokesperson told Mashable in a statement that "it is not uncommon for cybercriminals to re-package previously disclosed data for financial gain."

"We are aware of claims that AT&T data is being made available for sale on dark web forums, and we are conducting a full investigation," the spokesperson added.

So, if you're an AT&T customer, this means your valuable private data could be part of this new leak. However, if your data was exposed in this leak, it was likely — although not certainly — already exposed in the August 2024 National Public Data breach. Mashable previously reported on this breach, which exposed "three decades’ worth of Social Security numbers on the online black market."

You can find out if your data was exposed in that breach by using a tool from Pentester, a cybersecurity firm, to check. Visit npd.pentester.com, enter your information, and see your list of breached accounts.

SAVE $90: Through July 2, Audible Premium Plus annual plans are just $89 instead of $149.50. That's like paying just $7.42 per month. When compared to the $14.95 monthly plan, you'll save $90 per year.

Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible Premium Plus annual plan $89 at Audible
$149.50 Save $60.50 Get Deal

Add at least a dozen books to your TBR instantly for less than $90 when you sign up for Audible annual plan.

Through July 2, Audible's Premium Plus annual memberships are just $89 for the first year. That's 40% off the usual cost of $149.50 and half the price of paying for a monthly membership for 12 months. After the first year, your Audible membership will renew automatically at full price. If you don't wish to continue your membership, be sure to cancel before the year is up.

SEE ALSO: The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is back down to its best-ever price in time for summer reading

Besides being a whole lot cheaper, the benefit of getting an annual membership over a monthly one is that you'll get 12 credits up front. No waiting around for your credit to appear in your account each month. Read what you want, when you want. Credits can be used to purchase titles in the premium collection, regardless of price. Sometimes you can even score two titles with a single credit during BOGO sales. So, your 12 credits might turn into two dozen audiobooks if you plan accordingly.

Premium Plus memberships also unlock access to hundreds of Audible Original audiobooks for free, as well as exclusive access to members-only sales.

The Premium Plus catalog will keep you endlessly entertained, with bestsellers and new releases like Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid and What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown, as well as BookTok favorites like Funny Story by Emily Henry and Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. If you're craving some screen-free entertainment, I highly recommend signing up for Audible while it's so cheap. As a subscriber myself, I can confirm it's a worthy subscription.

The best tech deals to shop this week

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.95)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $899.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• DualSense Edge Wireless Controller — $169.00 (List Price $199.99)

SAVE $7.99: As of June 6, get three months of Peacock Premium for free. This offer is only available to new subscribers.

Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Three months of Peacock Premium $0 at Peacock
$7.99 Save $7.99 Get Deal

Looking to cut the cord, but don't want to end up paying as much for streaming services as you would for cable? Perfectly understandable. By the time you end up collecting a few, you're paying half the cost you would for a bundle of channels. So when deals like these pop up, it's a good idea to take them. Right now, Peacock is giving you a chance to try out the service without having to pony up any cash.

As of June 6, get three months of Peacock Premium for free. That's a discount of $7.99, and this offer is only available to new subscribers. When the three months are up, you'll automatically be charged for a regular monthly membership. If you decide not to continue with the subscription, be sure to cancel it before your months are up. You'll be able to access your account until your membership's end date.

Peacock is home to a wide variety of different shows and movies, and it's constantly being updated with more. You can catch up on reality TV like Love Island, solve mysteries with Poker Face, and even watch the SNL episodes you missed because you fell asleep too early to see them live. From sci-fi to fantasy to oldies and goodies like Heroes and The King of Queens, there's tons of content to sift through.

Some streaming platforms don't even offer trials, so being able to get in for free is a great deal. Grab your subscription while it's still available.

SAVE $100: As of June 6, the iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, A17 Pro) is on sale for $399 at Amazon. That's down from its list price of $499, saving you 20%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) $399 at Amazon
$499 Save $100 Get Deal

If you've been looking for the right moment to invest in an iPad, this could be your chance to walk away with a great deal. The Apple iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip has dipped below $400 at Amazon.

As of June 6, the iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, A17 Pro) is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon. This is 20% off its list price of $499 and the lowest-ever price according to camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: The new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are over $50 off at Amazon

This iPad mini packs plenty of power into a small build thanks to the A17 Pro chip. It's a perfect portable pick, and sports an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 128GB of storage so you can stock it up with plenty of apps to keep you busy. We even consider it the best iPad for reading.

Don't miss out on $100 off the iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, A17 Pro) at Amazon.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.95)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $899.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• DualSense Edge Wireless Controller — $169.00 (List Price $199.99)

The relationship between Mr. Trump and tech industry power brokers was built on money and the promise of deregulation, with Mr. Musk in the middle of it all.

SAVE UP TO 80%: We rounded up June's hottest sex toy deals from top brands including Le Wand, Lovers, and others. Shop vibrators, dildos, and more.

The best sexy toy deals in June 2025: Best deal overall The Rose Suction Vibrator $23.99 (save $65) Get Deal Best runner-up deal Lovers Loyal 5.5-Inch Dildo $38.40 (save $9.60) Get Deal Best budget deal ava VIVV massage wand $19.97 (save $5) Get Deal

Masturbation May is behind us, but I’m still seeing tons of sex toy deals across multiple retailers, big and small. Actually, some of these deals are even better than what I saw last month — from Pride sales to summer clearances, there are savings aplenty to be had in June. For example, I’ve seen $100+ vibes (like the Le Wand Grand Bullet, which I have in Rose Gold, and the Le Wand Deux) go for under $40, which is crazy.

Whether you’re looking for a new clit sucker, a couples vibrator, or some BDSM gear, there are tons of ways to save right now. Here are the best sex toy sales I could find this month.

Best deal overall Opens in a new window Credit: Le Wand Rose Suction Vibrator (Pink) $23.99 at Le Wand
$99.99 Save $76 Get Deal Why we like it

OK, so I’m talking a lot about Le Wand, but honestly, these are the best deals I’ve ever seen the retailer run. If you don’t know much about Le Wand, they’re known for making luxe sex toys without the pretentious vibe (like LELO, but actually fun). Many of the massagers and vibrators are on the higher end, so I’m always stoked when I see them on sale. I even gifted my sister the Le Wand Little Pleasures Set for her wedding, and she loved it.

And, despite the name, they don’t just sell wand vibrators. For example, I’m choosing the Rose Suction Vibrator as my overall fave because it’s a hot-selling toy that’s now under $30. (The price changes with color option — the mint was $14.99, but it’s sold out now.) This little toy is a clitoral sucker that uses gentle pressure and vibration to give you toe-curling orgasms. At under $30, I’d say to jump on this deal, like, yesterday.

Other must-mention items in Le Wand’s sale include the 9-inch Purple Rose Nubby Dildo (a glass dildo for less than $20, uhm, yes please) and the Le Wand Baton.

Best runner-up deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lovers Lovers Loyal 5.5-Inch Dildo $38.40 at Lovers
$48 Save $9.60 20% off with code GLOWUP Get Deal Why we like it

Speaking of dildos, one of my all-time faves is on sale at Lovers right now. The Lovers Loyal 5.5-Inch Dildo (exclusively sold at Lovers) is 20% off with the code GLOWUP. That brings the total to $38.40 (saving you $9.60), which is still a great deal for, in my opinion, the softest, most realistic-feeling dildo I’ve ever owned.

I don’t love the look of realistic dildos, and if I had a choice, I probably wouldn’t buy a skin-toned dildo. BUT, I do own and use the Lovers Loyal Dildo because it’s just that good. It has a suction cup base so you can stick it to just about anything, and it’s compatible with most harnesses.

More sex toy deals you should definitely know about

• Amazon: Save 22% on Amazon's #1 best-selling bullet vibrator and pay just $12.44

• Adam & Eve: Get up to 50% off select sex toys

• Babeland: Get up to 70% off clearance items

• Bellesa: Get up to 50% off sitewide with code 50JUNE

• b-Vibe: Get up to 30% off select anal toys

• The Cowgirl: Save $500 + get a FREE bundle with The Cowgirl Sex Machine

• FemmeFunn: Save on select sex toy bundles

• Good Vibes: Get up to 70% off select sex toys

• Je Joue: Get up to 50% off select sex toys

• Kiiroo: Get up to 70% off select male sex toys

• LELO: Get up to 50% off select sex toys, plus a FREE gift

• Lovers: Get 20% off dildos and harnesses with code GLOWUP

• Lovehoney: Get up to 70% off select toys and lingerie

• Unbound: Get up to 69% off select sex toys at Unbound

Your AirPods will reportedly get some major upgrades as Apple debuts iOS 26 next week at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).

While the event is rumored to feature fewer AI advances than expected, WWDC typically brings some big news. Perhaps chief among the expected news is Apple's latest iOS, which will reportedly be called iOS 26, to match the upcoming year, instead of the previously expected iOS 19.

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about iOS 26 ahead of Apple WWDC 2025

With that new software could come some big changes for your AirPods. Apple-focused site 9to5Mac exclusively reported this week that some of the AirPods upgrades are expected to come with iOS 26.

Here are three exciting new AirPod features to expect, according to 9to5Mac:

1. A new head gesture that will end a Conversation Awareness volume adjustment, which, as of now, requires you to press and hold the AirPod stem.

2. A new camera control feature, where tapping an AirPod stem will take a picture. This might be way easier than using the iPhone's timer feature.

3. A sleep detection system that'll auto-pause when someone falls asleep while using their AirPods.

Now, keep in mind that the report from 9to5Mac relies on unnamed sources within Apple, so it is not guaranteed that we will get all these features at WWDC. That's not to say the report isn't true; just that Apple can always change course.

We'll just have to wait until Monday's WWDC to see what, exactly, happens for AirPods.

Walmart's futuristic plans to deliver your orders via flying robots are closer to becoming reality, as the mega-retailer expands its drone delivery program to five major cities and more than 100 store locations.

Shoppers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa will be promised deliveries by air in 30 minutes or less, operated by drone provider Wing. That levels up the program to five states (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas), including existing operations across Texas in partnership with drone company Zipline. According to Walmart, drones have made more than 150,000 deliveries since the program's 2021 launch.

SEE ALSO: New version of Gemini beats other AIs at math, science, and reasoning

Drones can deliver to homes up to six miles from a participating store, and orders must be between 2.4 pounds to 10 pounds, depending on the location's fleet. Customers are notified when their drones are on the way, and packages are slowly lowered to the ground via cable upon arrival.

"As the first retailer to scale drone delivery, Walmart is once again demonstrating its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our delivery offerings with a focus on speed," wrote Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Transformation and Innovation. "As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail."

How to order drone delivery

Drone delivery options should automatically appear for Walmart shoppers in eligible areas once available — users should see a link to the drone landing page at the top of the Walmart homepage after logging in, or can sign up to be notified when the program reaches them.

To get your order from a flying drone:

1. Log into your Walmart.com account.

2. Shop as you usually would, then select check out.

3. Under the order's delivery options, choose Delivery from Store.

4. Select Drone Delivery from the store options.

5. Select a day and time, and if you want your delivery dropped off in your front yard, backyard, or driveway.

6. Proceed with the purchase.

Shoppers are automatically alerted if their order reaches the drone's max weight and carrying capacity.

SAVE UP TO $48: As of June 6, new and returning subscribers can get Starz for just $3 per month when they prepay for six months or $3.99 per month for three months. Typically $10.99 per month, that saves you up to $47.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Starz Starz Semi-Annual Plan $3 per month when you prepay for 6 months Get Deal

Want to diversify your streaming lineup? Unlock tons of new shows and movies by signing up for Starz while it's only $3 per month.

As of June 6, new and returning subscribers can sign up for a Starz semi-annual plan for only $17.99, which breaks down to just $3 per month for six months. Usually $10.99 per month, that's about $47.95 in savings. Don't want to commit to six months at a time? You can also get a monthly subscription for only $3.99 per month for three months. Once three months comes and goes, it'll revert back to full price unless you cancel. The deal is only around for an unspecified limited time, so you may want to jump on it sooner rather than later to secure the savings.

SEE ALSO: Save $500 on a Hisense 75-inch U8 4K TV and get a free $200 Amazon credit

Starz is home to plenty of original content worth watching, like the historical drama Outlander, the TV adaptation of Lisa Taddeo's book Three Women, and the female serial killer tale Sweetpea. The library is also brimming with theatrical hits like Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Exorcist: Believer, and M3GAN. There's enough to keep you entertained all summer long.

If you're sick of Netflix and Hulu, adding more to your entertainment collection doesn't need to cost a fortune. With the latest Starz streaming deal, you can finally diversify your streaming lineup for cheap.

The best TV deals to shop this week

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Amazon Fire TV 4-Series (43 inches, 2024) — $329.99

• 55-inch Sony Bravia 3 4K LED Smart Google TV (2024 Model) — $648.00 (List Price $699.99)

• Hisense 85-Inch Class U8 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV — $1,699.99

• LG 65-inch Class UR9000 Series 4K Smart TV   — $496.99 (List Price $629.99)

SAVE $589.99: Now through June 8, Sony is offering a BOGO deal on select TVs. If you buy a 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K, you'll get a free 55-inch X77L 4K Google TV.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K $3,999.99 at Sony
BOGO deal: Buy a 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K, get a 55-inch X77L 4K Google TV Get Deal

Right now, Sony is practically giving away free TVs, so if you've been looking for an upgrade, now's the time to do it.

Here are the details: If you buy one of Sony's 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K displays, they'll toss in a free 55-inch X77L 4K Google TV. That's a nearly $600 TV, just for saying "yes" to an even better one. Not big enough? If you opt for the 55-inch Bravia 8 II, you'll still get a free 50-inch Sony X77L, which usually costs around $530.

There are no hidden fees, no weird hoops to jump through. Just add the eligible Bravia to your cart, and voilà, the free TV appears. It's almost too easy.

SEE ALSO: What's the best time of year to buy a TV? Yes, there's an answer.

Sure, the Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K TV is almost $4K, but it’s one of Sony’s best TVs. It supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and IMAX Enhanced visuals and Acoustic Surface Audio Plus for sound that comes directly from the screen. With Voice Zoom 3, you’ll be able to hear dialogue clearly without an added soundbar or woofer.

Of course, the free X77L isn't quite as fancy, but it's still a solid 4K TV with Google TV smarts, HDR, and the X1 processor for upscaling.

The best TV deals to shop this week

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Amazon Fire TV 4-Series (43 inches, 2024) — $329.99

• 55-inch Sony Bravia 3 4K LED Smart Google TV (2024 Model) — $648.00 (List Price $699.99)

• Hisense 85-Inch Class U8 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV — $1,699.99

• LG 65-inch Class UR9000 Series 4K Smart TV   — $496.99 (List Price $629.99)

For most of my life, a common refrain about Nintendo has been that the company just doesn't really get the internet. It's been hard to argue against that, really; even on Nintendo Switch 2, you have to exchange arcane friend codes with people to add them to your friends list.

When Nintendo announced that it was going all in on communal voice chat and other social features back in April, it was both easy and perfectly reasonable to scoff at it. GameChat, the catch-all term for the Switch 2's voice chat service, just looked like something that the other consoles have been able to do for nearly 20 years. Besides a couple of superfluous features tacked onto it (and a concerning reliance on open microphones rather than headsets), I was prepared to be underwhelmed.

I came away fairly impressed by a very limited GameChat demo before launch, but after putting it through its paces in a live fire situation, I kinda can't believe how good it is. Nintendo has not only made a (mostly) functional voice chat app, but it is actually more fun to use than the equivalent services on PlayStation and Xbox.

Let me explain.

SEE ALSO: My day one Nintendo Switch 2 review: It's here, and it's awesome GameChat on Switch 2 is way better than it has any right to be

First, a quick refresh: GameChat is an app that Switch 2 users can activate at any time using the new "C" button on whatever Switch 2 controller they happen to be using. Up to 12 people can participate in a voice chat room, while up to four people at a time can stream footage of their gameplay to everyone else or participate in video calls using a USB camera. By default, Nintendo expects people to use the microphone on the Switch console itself and listen to their friends via their TV speakers, but headsets are also supported.

Got it? OK, cool, let's move on.

The noise suppression is great This is what GameChat looks like when everyone is streaming their feeds to each other. Credit: Nintendo

I tried GameChat out for close to two hours with a friend of mine on the Switch 2's launch day. We bounced between a few different games, namely Mario Kart World, Fast Fusion, and Soul Calibur II for GameCube. In almost every instance, it not only worked as intended, but it actually offered a unique, Nintendo-flavored take on party chat.

My biggest concern going into all of this was that the intended chat mechanism of shouting into a microphone that could be several feet away from you depending on your entertainment setup simply wouldn't work. The audio quality would be rough, unwanted outside noises would bleed in, and so on. I'm very pleased to report that this isn't the case. While the mic on the Switch 2 isn't the best in the world, it's more than usable for video game voice chat. But perhaps most impressively, absolutely zero outside noise bled into the feed whatsoever.

On the other end, my friend was outputting audio of both my voice and the games through their TV speakers. I never heard a second of it. On my end, a not-particularly-quiet window air conditioner unit was blasting cool air into my room about six feet away from the Switch 2. My friend claims they never heard it over more than an hour of gameplay. Whatever noise suppression tech Nintendo packed into the Switch 2 must be top-of-the-line stuff, man.

I should also reiterate that you can simply plug a headset into the Pro Controller's headphone jack and chat that way, too. Weirdly, the third-party wired headset I use wouldn't let me input audio through its microphone, but audio would output to the headphones just fine. The Switch 2's onboard mic was luckily there to pick up my voice, and my friend said it sounded fine anyway. I'm going to chalk that up to my particular headset being wonky. Funnily enough, the official wireless PS5 Pulse Elite headset is natively recognized by the Switch 2 and works flawlessly, mic and all.

Speech-to-text is a revelation

GameChat is partially defined by the fact that, by default, it reduces your game's share of the screen in order to put a horizontal row of little windows representing each voice chatter along the bottom of the display. Folks can stream their gameplay to other users through these little windows, and that admittedly looks very choppy. It's actually pretty nice for quickly glancing to see what your friend is up to in Mario Kart, but you wouldn't want to stare at one of those streaming feeds for too long.

However, a less publicized feature that also optionally takes up screen space deserves more shine: the Switch 2's live speech-to-text transcription. This accessibility-minded feature is, I kid you not, maybe the most impressive thing I've seen on Switch 2 so far. The text window sits on the right side of the screen in a way that's shockingly unintrusive. We had it on for more than an hour and, in that time, the only mistakes it made in transcribing our speech were minimal. It's fast and incredibly accurate for what it is, and it labels individual speakers in the text window.

Most unexpected is the fact that it doesn't censor curse words at all. They're written out in all their glory, ensuring those with hearing problems aren't treated like children. Amusingly, whatever dictionary Nintendo fed to this feature includes a ton of properly capitalized brand names, even for those from competing game companies. It properly capitalized "The Last of Us," for example. "Sega Dreamcast" was in there, too. We may or may not have spent like an hour just shouting out proper nouns in the hopes that the Switch 2 would recognize them, which it mostly did.

Sidenote: I'm sorry I can't provide visual proof of all of this. GameChat doesn't allow you to take screenshots.

GameShare feels like magic Don't sleep on 'Fast Fusion.' Credit: Shin'en/Nintendo

Real quick, I'd like to shout out GameShare, a new feature that allows users to digitally "share" a game they own with someone else on a temporary basis so they can play it together. It's up to individual games to support this, you can't do it with anything you want. I tried it with Fast Fusion, a $15 arcade racer that otherwise lacks traditional online play, and the results were nearly unbelievable.

Fast Fusion allows you to GameShare with people in your GameChat session, which is exactly what I did. I expected that my friend would have to wait five minutes for the Switch 2 to download some small vertical slice of the game. I was wrong. Instead, perhaps through some kind of streaming solution, they were in my game and racing with my within seconds. According to my friend, the video feed on their end was a little blurry, but the frame rate was high and gameplay was perfectly responsive.

I'll have to test this out with other games, but at first glance, GameShare might be for real.

Of course, nothing is perfect

I don't want to let Nintendo off the hook entirely here. GameChat made a really strong impression on me for all the reasons described above, but there were also some minor (and one major) hiccups.

There were one or two quick connection errors that probably had a lot to do with the console having just launched hours prior. More problematically, when I tried to close Mario Kart World and switch to the GameCube app with GameChat running, my Switch 2 just straight up froze on me. I also couldn't hear my friend anymore. This was, admittedly, scary. The good news is that holding the Switch 2's power button for about 15 seconds shut it off, and it rebooted seconds later without any problems. Afterward, nothing like that happened again.

While I can't pretend my time with GameChat so far has been perfectly smooth, I also can't lie: I think it's pretty rad. Built-in gameplay streaming, highly accurate speech-to-text, and noise suppression that has to be heard to be believed all make GameChat a force to be reckoned with. Fingers crossed Nintendo keeps releasing games that actually make me want to use it going forward.

Where to buy the Switch 2

Costco and Target were the last retailers to have live Switch 2 inventory. You have to be fast to place an order during these blink-and-you'll-miss-it events, so keep a close eye on Mashable's Switch 2 inventory tracker if you're still trying to get your hands on the new Nintendo console.

You can also check the product listings at the links below:

• Buy the Switch 2 at Nintendo

• Buy the Switch 2 at Walmart

• Buy the Switch 2 at GameStop

• Buy the Switch 2 at Best Buy

• But the Switch 2 at Costco

• Buy the Switch 2 at Target

For all the insults that Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump traded on Thursday, don’t be surprised if they make up again days from now. In the meantime, they both benefit.

SAVE $80: As of June 6, the Marshall Stanmore III speaker is down to just $299.99 at Amazon. That's 21% off its list price of $379.99 and its best price to date.

Opens in a new window Credit: Marshall Marshall Stanmore III $299.99 at Amazon
$379.99 Save $80 Get Deal

Not all Bluetooth speakers are created equal. Some sound great, but look dull, while others are all about aesthetic. The Marshall Stanmore III checks both boxes — and it's on sale for its lowest price on record.

As of June 6, you can get the Marshall Stanmore III for only $299.99 instead of $379.99. That's 21% in savings and the biggest price drop we've seen.

Basically a mini version of the iconic Marshall amps you've seen on stages everywhere, but built for your home, the Marshall Stanmore III is designed with with a retro guitar amp style. But don't worry; it doesn't weigh much more than a pound. While we haven't had a chance to test it out, our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) took it for a spin and found that "it delivers rich and bright Bluetooth audio from a familiar retro guitar amp design."

If it doesn't sound quite to your liking at first listen, easy controls on top will help you adjust it to fit your vibe — whether you prefer heavy bass or a more balanced bass and treble. You can also make adjustments in the app, but fair warning: it's extremely limited on features. "The speaker can get quite loud," according to PCMag's reviewer, "and delivers plenty of low-frequency richness and bright clarity."

It's a bit of an investment at full price, but with a 21% price drop, it's a bit more palatable.

The best headphones and speaker deals to shop this week

• Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds — $24.99 (List Price $39.99)

• Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones — $59.99

• JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $129.95)

• Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker — $149.00

• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $228.00 (List Price $348.00)

• JBL Bar 300 5.0ch Compact Soundbar — $249.95 (List Price $399.95)