Why the Nintendo Switch 2 Console Still Leads the Living Room | Vol. 25

The Nintendo Switch 2 Console addresses a very specific domestic negotiation: somebody wants the television, somebody else wants to continue playing, and neither party has the emotional reserves for a constitutional crisis over the remote. Nintendo’s answer remains pleasingly direct: keep the game with you, then put it on the big screen when circumstances allow. We think this is the broadest case for the new Nintendo hardware because the package is unusually complete. There is a console, two Joy-Con 2 controllers, a grip, straps, dock, AC adapter and Ultra High Speed HDMI cable in the standard UK box. That means less post-purchase archaeology through drawers and more time deciding which family member has mysteriously become very competitive. The hardware itself gives the proposition some proper substance. Its 7.9-inch LCD touchscreen has 1920 × 1080 resolution, HDR10 and variable refresh rates up to 120 Hz, while the dock can output up to 4K at 60 fps. Nintendo has also included 256 GB of internal UFS storage, though part is reserved for the system because apparently even consoles require administrative overhead. There is sensible restraint required before declaring it universally essential. Nintendo estimates 2 to 6.5 hours of battery life, and backwards compatibility with Nintendo Switch games is qualified rather than absolute. Still, for someone who wants a new Nintendo console with both handheld and TV-mode credentials, this is the obvious centrepiece rather than a niche accessory posing as a lifestyle choice.

The Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is for the sort of household where the hard floor looks fine until a shaft of daylight exposes a small civilisation of dust, crumbs and long hair. We admire a product willing to address that indignity with something more considered than a generic brush bar and a prayer. Its main peculiar trick is the Fluffycones cleaner head: four conical brush bars designed to lift and strip long hair so it can be vacuumed without tangling. That is a genuinely sensible bit of engineering for homes where hair regularly makes a break for the skirting boards. Forward- and rear-facing LEDs also illuminate hard-floor dirt, which may be useful, though it does mean there is nowhere left for the crumbs to plead innocence. The PencilVac is unusually narrow at 38 mm wide, weighs 1.8 kg and can flatten under furniture as low as 95 mm. We think that makes it a persuasive secondary vacuum for frequent passes through a compact flat or the bits of the home that the larger machine regards as below its dignity. There is, naturally, a catch. The UK specification gives it up to 30 minutes of runtime and an 0.08 L bin, with a 3.5-hour charge time. This is a precise tool for keeping daily grit in check, not an invitation to postpone cleaning for a fortnight and then attempt an archaeological dig.

The GORUCK Rucker 4.0 20L exists because a normal backpack is built for ordinary civilian concerns: lunch, headphones, perhaps a laptop you resent. Rucking asks a bag to keep purpose-made weight plates organised and elevated while you walk about voluntarily making the pavement more challenging. Fair enough. People collect stranger hobbies. We think this makes a convincing case for a dedicated rucking backpack rather than turning a daypack into an awkward sack of clanking compromise. Two elevated plate pockets give the 20L Rucker 4.0 a clear job, with separate accommodation for standard plates and longer 30 lb or 45 lb plates in the long pocket. It is delightfully specific, which is usually where useful products begin. The construction also follows the brief rather than merely wearing a tactical costume to the shops. Primary 1000D CORDURA® sits alongside 210D HT CORDURA® on the back panel and underside of the straps, while 10 mm EVA foam provides lumbar support at the bottom of the back panel. Extra-padded, dual-density foam shoulder straps and a padded handle suggest somebody considered what happens once the bag is no longer full of harmless air. There is a sensible limit to the romance. This is a 20L rucking backpack, not a diplomatic attempt to cover every possible bag duty. The manufacturer states it can carry up to 75 lb across the two plate pockets, and it can take a padded hip belt via side MOLLE points. That is excellent news for committed ruckers, and rather excessive news for anyone merely trying to get through a Tuesday.

Portable speakers occupy a strange place in modern civilisation. Somebody brings one to a picnic, and within minutes they have become unpaid entertainment manager for twelve people, three snacks and a dog that dislikes the bass. The JBL Flip 7 makes a sensible case for being that speaker: it is compact at 18.3 × 7.0 × 7.2 cm and built around a 45 × 80 mm woofer plus a 16 mm tweeter. The sensible bit continues with Bluetooth 5.4, while the less usual bit is USB-C lossless audio playback from a compatible lossless source. That is a welcome escape hatch for the person who has carefully acquired higher-quality music files, then remembers that most portable audio lives at the mercy of whatever Bluetooth is doing that day. JBL states 14 hours of playback on one charge, rising to up to 16 hours with Playtime Boost. We appreciate the clarity, because “up to” has long been technology’s preferred way of putting a tiny asterisk on a big ambition. The stated 25 W RMS woofer output and 10 W RMS tweeter output tell buyers what JBL specifies, rather than asking them to decode a vague adjective such as “epic”. This particular blue bundle adds a Megen hardshell protection case, which makes it especially handy for a bag already full of chargers, crushed cereal bars and unexplained receipts. The Flip 7 also has JBL’s PushLock system, with a loop and carabiner included in the standard box, so it has a credible plan for not immediately disappearing into the black hole at the bottom of that bag.

The Shark CryoGlow FW312UK LED Face Mask is aimed at the sort of skincare routine that has quietly acquired cables, timers and a dedicated shelf. Its treatment menu covers Better Ageing, Blemish Repair and Skin Sustain, while Under-Eye Revive adds cooling beneath the eyes. Apparently a standard face mask was not quite enough; now our eye area has its own climate-control programme. We think that peculiar specificity is the point. Red LED and infrared appear in the six-minute Better Ageing routine, while the eight-minute Blemish Repair programme cycles through blue LED, infrared and red LED. Rather than ask buyers to improvise, Shark has put the routines on an LCD remote control and set a one-routine-per-day recommendation in the user guide. The cooling element is the intriguing curveball. The included clip-on chill pads offer three levels and run for five to 15 minutes, either on their own or with an LED routine. That makes sense for someone who wants a deliberately timed under-eye step, rather than another cream to apply during a rushed morning while trying not to brush teeth with moisturiser. There is, inevitably, maintenance. The mask needs wiping with a damp cloth after each use, no chemical or alcohol-based cleaners, then complete drying before it goes again. It also takes about three hours to charge and cannot operate on charge. CryoGlow is a considered beauty device, not a casual impulse for anyone whose current regime is ‘whatever was near the sink’.