Star Fox on Switch 2 Hits $43 — Plus Earbud and Charger Deals
This week’s deal roundup has the order wrong for handheld players. The marquee item is Google’s Pixel Buds 2a at $99 — a solid $30 off genuinely good ANC earbuds — but the one that should catch your eye is Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2, discounted to $42.99 for Costco members with a digital code delivered straight to your inbox. Throw in the Anker Nano Smart Display Charger at $25.99, and this roundup touches play, audio, and power across a full portable setup.
Each deal serves a different handheld moment: the commute, the couch, and the charging cable that keeps you going past your battery’s bedtime. Here’s what’s actually worth your money.
The $42.99 Star Fox Code: Built for Switch 2’s Handheld Moments
This one requires a Costco membership, but the payoff is immediate: the digital code lands via email, so there’s no shipping wait between purchase and play. For a hybrid console, that’s the right kind of deal — the download is ready before you’re out the door, no cartridge to swap mid-route.
The Verge frames it as a reimagining of the N64 classic, with cinematic new cutscenes and graphics updated to show off Switch 2’s improved power. The deal post doesn’t disclose frame-rate targets for portable mode, but a game built to demonstrate stronger silicon has room to breathe on a handheld screen. Its arcade pacing suits short sessions — the same reason Battle Mode is a handheld favorite — a level or two on the train, suspend, repeat — which is precisely the sweet spot for Switch 2’s portable promise. At $7 under list, this is the roundup’s clearest buy for handheld players with a membership.
Earbuds and a 45W Brick: The Travel Kit That Matters
The Pixel Buds 2a at $99 aren’t gaming earbuds, and they don’t pretend to be — but the case for them in a handheld bag is real. Active noise cancellation matters more than any audiophile spec when you’re buried in a plane seat or a loud train, and The Verge’s David Pierce singled out the ANC and transparency modes as standouts at this price. The Android-first feature set — Gemini integration, full controls — mostly evaporates on iPhone, but handheld players can shrug: a Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or Switch treats them as a generic Bluetooth audio device, and the core sound quality doesn’t change based on what they’re paired with.
The real sleeper is the Anker Nano Smart Display Charger at $25.99. It pushes 45W over USB-C — the same power profile as the Steam Deck’s official brick — with a tiny screen that shows charge status (or a friendly face) while it works. One compact block for your Deck and your phone beats two cables and two bricks in a backpack — the kind of budget power value that pairs well with a power bank that doubles Switch 2 playtime for under $10 — which makes it the quiet best value of this entire roundup.