It’s clearly time: all the news about the transparent tech renaissance – The Verge

The amazing USB-C gadgets that play old Nintendo cartridges

2026-09-02T11:06:29-04:00

Last week, I powered on a 26-year-old copy of Pokémon Pinball, one of the best Game Boy games ever made. My save file was no more. The Charmander I'd caught for my daughter, the high scores we'd set together… gone. Before flash memory, Nintendo cartridges used tiny watch batteries to save their games, and those batteries were never meant to last this long.

But it's not a huge deal, because I saved my family's save file months ago. I backed it up with an Epilogue Operator, a device that connects your real Nintendo cartridges to Windows PCs, MacBooks, even a Steam Machine.

The $50 GB Operator is a transparent trapezoidal cartridge reader th …

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With Switch 2, iPhone, and laptop tricks, the Sharge Disk Pro 2 is finally a worthy EDC

2026-07-31T19:11:42-04:00

The Sharge Disk Pro 2. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Sharge, the company that makes delightful retro Mac-shaped chargers and see-inside batteries, is finally impressing me with a portable SSD. I couldn't recommend the Sharge Disk, Disk Plus, or even the Disk Pro, but I'd be happy to own the new Disk Pro 2 Ultra.

This isn't just a drive. It's a 4K HDMI dock and a USB-C hub too. It's a veritable USB-C Swiss Army Knife for all your main gadgets: laptop, tablet, phone, Steam Deck, even the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

And this USB multitool has built-in MagSafe pattern magnets to stick it to your iPhone, Pixel, or anything where you're willing to stick a magnetic ring. (One stick-on ring is in …

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The OLED Xbox Ally X20 is so good, Asus will sell it solo

2026-07-14T12:23:00-04:00

The Ally X20 (front) and Lenovo Legion Go 2 (behind).

When I first told you about the "OLED Xbox Ally X of my dreams," I had to curb my enthusiasm a bit. That's partly because I hadn't yet tried the handheld myself, and partly because Asus was only planning to sell it bundled with a pair of expensive AR glasses! I'm happy to say both things are no longer true.

Asus will sell a standalone version of the OLED Ally as well, spokesperson Anthony Spence confirms to The Verge. "We are actively discussing the release schedule for a standalone version of the new Ally. Please stay tuned for upcoming announcements."

And after spending two hours with the OLED Ally at the company's California offices, I …

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The screenless Camp Snap 2 is slimmer and comes with more filters

2026-06-02T10:18:08-04:00

The new Camp Snap 2 is 15 percent slimmer than the original version. | Image: Camp Snap

After expanding its offerings to video with the CS-8 inspired by Kodak and Canon's retro Super 8mm film cameras, Camp Snap is returning to its roots. The Camp Snap 2 is a sequel to the company's first screenless digital point-and-shoot camera that updates the original with a slimmer design, faster performance, filters available right out of the box, and new features making it easier for kids to use.

The Camp Snap 2 is available starting today through the company's online store for $69.95, which is the same price as the original. Color options being carried forward include stealth black, chestnut brown, arctic white, forest green, and sunbea …

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Asus just announced the OLED Xbox Ally X of my dreams

2026-06-01T06:05:38-04:00

The Xbox Ally X20, and the glasses you’ll have to buy with it. | Image: Asus

If you asked me what I'd change about the Xbox Ally X handheld - aside from fixing Windows, I mean - I'd tell you two key things.

First, give me a bigger, better screen. Even a little bit bigger, so games feel less claustrophobic and with less ugly bezel. Second, get rid of the "Library" button. I am so tired of an accidental press booting me out of my game and into the Xbox library without a simple way to get back.

With the just-announced ROG Xbox Ally X20, Asus did both - and then some. It's now a slick translucent handheld with drift-resistant GuliKit TMR joysticks, a transforming D-pad that goes from 8-way to 4-way by dropping its cor …

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Orchid, the buzzy Tame Impala synth, is back in a gorgeous clear colorway

2026-05-05T12:00:10-04:00

It’s clearly a looker. | Image: Telepathic Instruments

The Telepathic Instruments Orchid has been unavailable for a few months now. But a new batch is ready to drop on May 11th for $649, and the company is celebrating with a limited edition clear Orchid: Arctic, which will cost slightly more: $699.

The Orchid was designed in part with Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, and it draws inspiration from chord organs that were popular in homes during the '50s and '60s. Like those instruments, the Orchid allows musicians to quickly play rich chord progressions without having to master a ton of theory or complex fingerings. It quickly generated a lot of buzz and could be difficult to get your hands on.

Bu …

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Analogue’s 4K N64 is getting five new transparent color options

2026-02-27T08:58:42-05:00

Extreme green looks hard to resist. | Image: Analogue

Analogue has announced another collection of limited-edition colors for its modern remake of the Nintendo 64. Last December it introduced several transparent versions of the Analogue 3D inspired by Nintendo's Funtastic N64 series, but this time the company says it drew inspiration from colored versions of the nearly 30-year-old console that Nintendo prototyped, but never released to the public.

The Prototype Limited Editions versions of the Analogue 3D will be available for purchase through the company's website in limited quantities starting on February 9th at 8AM PT / 11AM ET, and are expected to ship 24 to 48 hours after that. Each will …

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This ThinkPad laptop concept has a rollable display that wraps around its lid

2026-01-06T06:06:30-05:00

Watching this thing in action is pretty fun, thanks to that windowed lid.

At CES 2026, Lenovo is announcing yet another new concept laptop with a transforming screen: the ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept. It's a ThinkPad, complete with its iconic red TrackPoint nub, but it features a flexible OLED display that wraps around to the outer part of its lid. Slide your finger along the folded spin of its touchscreen, and the laptop vertically expands from a 13.3-inch display to a taller 15.9-inch screen - offering more screen real estate for productivity work. It's a bit like Lenovo's already released ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 rollable, but the screen and motors are all in the lid as opposed to tucking the display into the chass …

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Turn your PC into a Super Nintendo with Epilogue’s new USB dock

2025-12-30T04:12:17-05:00

After announcing and teasing its design well over a year ago, Epilogue's new SN Operator will finally be available for preorder starting tomorrow. Like the company's GB Operator that debuted in early 2021, the SN Operator is a standalone USB cartridge slot that lets you play and archive old Nintendo console games on PCs, Macs, or handhelds like the Steam Deck using their original carts. But where the GB Operator was built for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA games, the SN Operator instead supports any Super Nintendo and Super Famicom game.

Preorders for the SN Operator will open at 12PM ET on December 30th for $59.99. That's $10 more expen …

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Analogue is restocking its 4K N64 and making it more colorful

2025-12-09T05:38:24-05:00

As if the Analogue 3D wasn't nostalgic enough, the 4K N64 emulator will soon be available in a handful of transparent "Funtastic" limited editions going on sale on December 10th at 8AM PT/11AM ET. The vibrant transparent models will be available "in highly limited quantities," and they'll cost more than the standard model at $299.

The limited editions are inspired by the Funtastic series of N64s from the early 2000s, which Analogue says it spent over a year "perfectly color matching." According to Analogue, these transparent hues are "identical to the originals." They even have the same names: fire, watermelon, grape, ice, jungle, clear, a …

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