You. You’ve asked an elderly or non-gaming person to buy you either games or a console before, right? Well, the Nintendo Switch 2’s latest discourse is all about whether doing that with Ninty’s latest hardware is likely to result in you accidentally getting an OG Switch instead.

Yep, people are fiercely debating whether a box having a fairly big number two on it next to the words ‘Nintendo Switch’ is enough to stop it being mixed up with another box that doesn’t have a two on it, but does also say ‘Nintendo Switch’. This is important, please stop rolling your eyes.

The chatter about this kicked off yesterday thanks to a tweet from YouTuber BeatEmUps, who shared a picture of Switch 2 box next to the classic Switch box, and declared that they reckon two are “far too similar and a bit confusing for the general public”.

Cue a bunch of people across Twitter and ResetEra pointing out that the Switch box’s got a fairly sizeable number two on it, while a bunch of folks who’ve worked in retail argue that probably won’t be enough to stop some people from buying the wrong one.

So, why am I writing about this? Well, for one, funny headline, and for two, I’ve made sure to do some important journalistic looking into this important issue. I reached out to members of my own family to ask whether they reckon, having seen the two boxes side by side, my grandparents or any other potential would-be Switch 2 purchasers who might not be immersed in gaming or its culture would be at risk of buying the wrong thing because of box similarities.

“Put it this way, I’d want to be with [them] when [they] bought it,” my sister responded, adding that she could see my grandparents in particular thinking they were getting a bargain on a Switch 2 by picking up an OG Switch. My dad, on the other hand, reckoned the placement of the number two was key, arguing that making sure to put it directly to the right of the words ‘Nintendo Switch’ rather than next to the Switch logo might help erase potential confusion.

Naturally, I wasn’t done journalisming there. I asked multiple members of the VG247 team for their views, with the general consensus being that it’d obviously be no problem for those in the know, but that non-gamers could well struggle. As for what Nintendo could or should potentially have done with the packaging to help minimise any confusion, there were no solid answers. The obvious would be not making both of them red boxes of a similar size, but that’s Ninty’s branding.

So, what do you do? Make sure whoever’s asking someone who might get confused to buy them a Switch 2 goes along to see that the right thing’s bought. You might have to sacrifice Santa Claus if it’s a holiday-season related purchase, but needs must.

In other Switch 2-related news, the console’s already reportedly made its way into the hands of some online folks, but they seemingly can’t actually play any games until it gets an update.

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Xbox is putting unusual pressure on its own console business, and a new Xbox Wire post gives players a clear reason to watch for an Xbox price hike.

Microsoft says storage and memory prices are climbing fast, while Xbox can’t currently make as many consoles as players want to buy. It also says the business needs a new hardware model and new partnerships as it remains committed to Helix.

Microsoft hasn’t announced a price increase. Still, the post lays out a cost problem that can eventually reach shoppers, especially when supply is already tight and the company is questioning the old console model.

Why is Xbox hardware under pressure

“While the entire industry is facing a components crisis, we believe we have been impacted more greatly than many of our peers due to the choices we made over the last half decade,” says the post. The price it paid for console storage parts was already more than twice as high in February as it was last fall. Those costs have doubled again since then, and planning for the 2027 holiday season points to another major increase.

Storage isn’t the only problem. Microsoft says memory costs are following a similar path, and the broader industry is dealing with a component crunch.

What could change for buyers

Higher console prices are only one possible outcome. Microsoft could also reduce subsidies, change storage options, adjust bundles, lean on partner-built hardware, or push more players toward PC, mobile, and streaming.

The subsidy line adds pressure to that list. Xbox says that, excluding Activision Blizzard King, it spent more than $20 billion over five years on content, platform work, and hardware subsidy, while annual revenue declined by nearly half a billion dollars over the same period. That makes aggressive console pricing harder to defend.

When should buyers pay attention

The 2027 holiday season is the clearest timing marker in the Xbox Wire post, but Microsoft doesn’t name specific products, prices, regions, or launch plans. It also says it’ll look at partnerships and possible M&A to improve its position across hardware, PC, mobile, and streaming.

For now, buyers should treat this as an early warning, not confirmation. An Xbox price hike isn’t official, but with storage costs potentially rising far beyond 2024 levels and supply already tight, anyone planning a console upgrade should watch for pricing, bundle, and availability changes before the next major Xbox hardware push.

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There are a few collectibles to go about hunting for in Mario Kart World, especially now that the series has introduced an open-world to explore. One collectible to keep your eyes peeled for is Hidden ? Panels in the floor or in walls around the map.

Driving over a Hidden ? Panel will give you a new sticker. Not that exciting, really, but finding Hidden ? Panels reveal track shortcuts and helps you with getting to grips with some of Mario Kart World’s more difficult mechanics to master, such as driving on walls. To help you with tracking them all down, here’s where to find all Hidden ? Panels in Mario Kart World.

All Hidden ? Panels in Mario Kart World

The below interactive map shows all Hidden ? Panels in Mario Kart World.

Well, not quite all, as the map is still currently a work in progress, but keep checking back as more Hidden ? Panels are added to collect them all!

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Hidden ? Panels are not typically found on the track in Mario Kart World, but in the environment surrounding it, meaning they’re best being found in free roam. I’ve found them on the floor and on walls in the most random of places, hiding between buildings and obstacles or in random corners of the map.

What do Hidden ? Panels give you in Mario Kart World?

Your reward for collecting Hidden ? Panels in Mario Kart World is the same as what it is for collecting Peach Medallions: stickers, lots of them. You can then use these stickers to remember your achievements, show them off to friends, and most importantly, you can decorate your kart with them.

If you manage to collect every single Hidden ? Panel, YouTuber Austin John Plays has been able to confirm that you do not get any additional reward for finding all of them. So, I hope you’re a fan of stickers!

For more on Mario Kart World, take a look at where to find all P Switches, and how to unlock all characters.

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