The Switch 2 versus the Steam Deck is a compelling match-up: Nintendo’s brand new portable hybrid paired up against Valve’s handheld PC. Conceptually, these devices diverge in some crucial aspects, but they do align in form factor and usage patterns. Which portable powerhouse takes the performance crown? And how do they compare in day-to-day use – in terms of their battery life, displays, controls and user experience?
Let’s start with the simplest comparison: game performance. I think Hogwarts Legacy is a fascinating example of the kinds of differences we might expect to see between Switch 2 and Steam Deck going forward, with the Deck running the PC branch of the game and the Switch 2 using something closer to the PS4 release.
The Steam Deck therefore enjoys higher resolution textures and assets, better baked lighting and enhanced volumetrics, while the Switch 2 boasts improved image clarity. It uses a (light) DLSS upscale from 540p to 1080p versus an FSR 3 upscale from 480p to 720p on the Steam Deck. Both suffer from a healthy amount of image break-up, as the Switch 2 struggles with disocclusion and the Deck fails to resolve clean foliage.
Here’s Oliver with the weather. Oh wait, I mean, here’s Oliver with the Switch versus Steam Deck OLED slam-down. Watch on YouTube
But the Switch 2 has one key edge: performance. Hogwarts Legacy suffers from distracting frame-time issues on Steam Deck, with modest 50ms drops being commonplace when traversing more complex NPC-filled areas, while the Switch 2 locks to 30fps largely successfully, with only rare interruptions. We’re basically seeing the merits of the console approach here. Switch 2 gets a tailored version of the game that may have cutbacks, but runs well on the hardware, while Steam Deck has to cope with the PC version that only really works well on higher-end PCs with strong CPUs. Processor limitations are a common achilles heel for the Deck.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a 2024 title that gets a lot of mileage out of what appears to be full-fat DLSS on the Switch 2, upscaled from 360p to 720p. It delivers a better result than the Steam Deck’s FSR, despite its lower internal resolution. Unfortunately, this game runs unlocked and largely without VRR on Switch 2, with poor frame-time delivery versus the effective (and optional) frame limit on Steam Deck. Visual settings here favour the Steam Deck, but I’d venture that the Switch 2 is still the more satisfying experience, if only because DLSS is a more capable upscaler than FSR in this title.
Then there’s Yakuza Zero, which is a 2015 game that should be easier to run for both systems. Switch 2 in handheld mode turns in a roughly 864p image, just under its 1080p native resolution, while Steam Deck is able to hit its native 720p. Both systems play at 60fps, with no major performance issues.
These three games represent three different prongs of the Switch 2 lineup: games with lightweight DLSS, games with expensive DLSS, and games that don’t use DLSS at all. DLSS is a clear asset here, and it helps to equalise the fight against Steam Deck, which otherwise seems to have a small edge over the portable Switch 2.
To see this content please enable targeting cookies.
But then there’s docked play. Here, the Switch 2 comes out ahead of Steam Deck. We can push Hogwarts to 1080p on Deck by dropping a settings preset, but it doesn’t necessarily compare favourably to Switch 2 for higher-res displays. The Switch 2 output is sharper and cleaner, improving on the FSR resolve on Steam Deck. The drop to low settings provides a closer, though still very imperfect, match to the Switch 2. The delta in terms of frame health is largely unchanged between the two systems in this new configuration, with the Deck dropping frames during open-world traversal and the Switch 2 being comparatively smooth.
With Kunitsu-Gami, we don’t really have the latitude to push resolution much further on Deck, so I’ve kept the game running with our prior settings options here. Image quality takes a further step on Switch 2 though, with a higher internal resolution at around 720p and a substantially crisper output. Comparing the two, there’s no contest – Switch 2 is delivering a much higher quality image, and a much higher quality rendition of this game. Performance-wise, both machines deliver a fairly similar turnout here, though on average Switch 2 is a bit ahead. In my experience, this is fairly typical on Switch 2, scoring a solid win over Steam Deck when empowered with docked clocks.
In Yakuza 0, the game now renders at 1080p internally, again with a solid lock on its 60fps target. Steam Deck can be bumped up to match, but we can’t push it any further without risking dropped frames. In docked configuration, it’s essentially a draw. I did notice some texture enhancements on Switch 2 which exist in portable mode too, but are more obvious at the higher resolution docked experience.
While games can run with different settings between Switch 2 and Steam Deck, the inclusion of DLSS upscaling (in its lightweight and full-fat modes) on Switch 2 can be a critical difference in favour of the Nintendo handheld. | Image credit: Digital Foundry
In portable mode, Switch 2 tends to be competitive with Steam Deck, but in docked play it pulls ahead in demanding software. Visual comparisons – as seen in my video further up the page – don’t get at the full docked experience, which I think overwhelmingly favours Switch 2.
After all, the Nintendo system seamlessly kicks your game into a display mode suitable for your TV, with upgraded graphics and automatically increased GPU and memory clocks. Controllers are supported without issue, with an easy interface to assign different control options as needed. You can wake the system easily with controller input. Plus, if you want to unplug your unit to take it with you, there’s no need to worry – you’ll be able to continue just as you did before, just with a portable-optimised graphics configuration.
On Steam Deck, the docked experience is a lot rougher. There’s no automatic settings adjustment of course to match the TV, so by default you’ll usually be getting a scaled 800p or 720p image to fit a much higher resolution panel. Games often feature cursor-oriented launchers, which don’t work with a controller, and Bluetooth controller support can be spotty, with disconnections and other issues.
Third-party legacy titles, such as Wreckfest and Crysis 2 Remastered, can look better on Steam Deck due to their greater configurability. There are also far more titles on the Valve handheld, courtesy of its PC compatibility. | Image credit: Digital Foundry
Both systems have access to large pools of legacy software in addition to more recent games and here I think Steam Deck is substantially better off. Switch 2 has very good backwards compatibility by console standards, but it can’t match the flexibility of Steam Deck, which essentially allows users to tap into the entire range of options available to PC players – not the compromised set-ups required for the original Switch’s Tegra X1 processor.
In a game like Crysis 2 Remastered, there are all kinds of settings upgrades, including better indirect lighting, superior textures, and improved foliage, alongside a higher frame-rate. We can’t quite manage 60fps here, but 40fps is very achievable most of the time and easy to cap to at an 80Hz refresh on the OLED model. The Switch 2 looks fine – and it does run better than Switch 1 – but the Steam Deck is able to bring all its hardware grunt to bear.
Likewise, Wreckfest gets a big Steam Deck OLED boost. On Switch 1 and 2, we land a 540p version of the game at 30fps, while Steam Deck can bump that up to 720p60. We also get the benefit of crisper textures, more refined lighting, and more detailed foliage. These kinds of improvements would take developer time and effort to bring to Switch 2, but we don’t need to worry about any of that on Steam Deck OLED.
Even games that are far less demanding can fare better on Steam Deck. Take the Ace Attorney Apollo Justice Collection, for instance. Steam Deck and Switch 2 look essentially identical here, with a matching 720p resolution and a hardcoded 30fps update on both platforms. But the 720p resolution proves a perfect pixel match for Steam Deck, while it scales somewhat inelegantly to the Switch 2’s 1080p panel. If the Steam Deck had a higher resolution screen it would be no problem to output it at a greater pixel count, of course, because we have that configuration freedom.
Many Nintendo-published titles do run with higher settings on Switch 2 than they did on the original Switch, leading to some big visual improvements on the new console. | Image credit: Digital Foundry
Thankfully there are quite a few prominent exceptions to this backwards compatibility deficit on Switch 2. Many Nintendo-published titles run with higher resolutions and better frame-rates on Switch 2, either as part of Switch 2 upgrades or paid Switch 2 Editions. Games like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Splatoon 3 run far better on Switch 2 than its eight-year-old predecessor. Some third party games, like Fortnite and No Man’s Sky, have received new Switch 2 versions as well. Hopefully, more developers will be able to patch in higher performance Switch 2 settings over time, or will be able to do more extensive work to improve their games’ visual presentation on the new console.
In those legacy games, both Switch 2 and Steam Deck players can expect longer-than-usual battery life. Persona 4 Golden lasts over four hours when testing with with the screen on max brightness on Switch 2. This is originally a PS2 title, but does run at 720p60 on Switch, so it’s probably representative of what we’d expect from a lighter 3D game. Steam Deck logs an estimated time of over seven hours with a roughly matched brightness level, which suggests a much longer runtime. When the Steam Deck’s SoC is running at near-zero wattage, the system can last quite a while.
Interestingly, the Switch OLED logs over six hours in the same test at max brightness, which is a good deal better than the new console. I couldn’t find any testing online on backwards compatibility battery life, but it does seem like the Switch 2 has worse battery life in Switch 1 software relative to the Switch OLED, and likely the 2019 Mariko revision as well. Nintendo’s back-compat solution may not be terribly efficient on the large T239 SoC compared to running natively on a Mariko Tegra X1.
I tested Hogwarts Legacy as well, where I logged two hours and 45 minutes with the screen on max brightness. This is a pretty impressive duration for a demanding 3D title, especially considering the system’s quoted minimum battery life of about two hours. Steam Deck OLED scores closer to four hours, either targeting 720p30 with the medium settings preset or 1080p30 with low, neither of which is a perfect match for the Switch 2, but they’re comparable. That’s a healthy Steam Deck victory.
The Switch 2’s hardware is largely excellent – but pixel response times on the built-in display are noticeably degraded versus past Switch models, particularly the SWOLED. Watch on YouTube
But the Switch 2 has a much smaller battery than the Steam Deck OLED, at 19.7Wh versus 50Wh so it consumes dramatically less power. In Hogwarts Legacy, the Switch 2 clocks in with a power draw of about seven watts, while the Steam Deck OLED is around 14 watts. That efficiency is seriously impressive and likely comes down to a very finely-tuned Switch 2 SoC.
Now that we’ve established the performance pecking order, I think we should sample the hardware in the two systems – starting with the screens. The Switch 2’s display issues are well documented, particularly its pixel response times. Essentially, the LCD doesn’t transition quickly enough when it’s refreshed, leaving behind an after-image that persists for several frames using high frame-rate footage – a phenomenon that’s worse on Switch 2 than it was on any Switch 1 model, even the original LCD.
Brightness control and overall luminance, comprise the second major concern. Basically, the Switch 2 has a uniformly-lit LCD without local dimming, which seriously limits the ability of the panel to express the brightness deltas needed for HDR content. The panel tops out around 400 nits according to objective tests, which is far lower than the 1000 nits most HDR content is mastered for. The panel has mediocre native contrast too, clocking in somewhere around 1100:1 in most tests. That’s fine for a typical mobile LCD, but it pales in comparison to a lot of modern TV display technologies, which can deliver perceptually infinite contrast.
Cyberpunk 2077 is tested here on Switch 2, stakced up against the Steam Deck experience in our biggest, most in-depth title-specific head-to-head yet. Watch on YouTube
This is where the Steam Deck OLED is at its strongest. With OLED tech, you can expect near-instant response times, minimising blur and allowing for crystal-clear fast motion. HDR is no problem for the panel either, reaching a full 1000 nits in bright content – a perfect match for the HDR10 display standard. OLED pixels are emissive too, without the need for a backlight, so black pixels can be turned off entirely – rather than made dark grey as you’d get on an LCD.
Unfortunately, Switch 2 doesn’t really have the display chops to match the Steam Deck OLED, with a far inferior panel, especially for well-mastered HDR content. There are a few factors that do fall in the Switch 2’s favour though, including a higher 120Hz maximum refresh rate, and VRR support. Few games effectively exploit these features so far, but they give developers latitude to target performance profiles that wouldn’t be possible on the OLED, or would yield poor visual results. The Switch 2 also packs a much greater resolution, at 1920×1080. This is a mixed blessing due to scaling issues, but a lot of games do a good job achieving a crisp 1080p image on the portable panel. Games on the Steam Deck often appear slightly pixelated in comparison, especially in their 2D elements. The Switch 2 appears to have at least one lightweight DLSS variant, capable of taking games to 1080p without a large frame-time hit.
Then there are a few matters that will come down to personal taste. Switch 2 has a roughly eight percent larger display in terms of screen area, almost matching the Steam Deck in height, but exceeding it somewhat in width. The Switch 2 is about at the limit of comfort for a handheld for me, but opinions will vary here. Colour temperature on the Switch 2 is also pretty cold, at over 7500K, while the Steam Deck is warmer. Notionally, the Deck has the ability to change the colour temperature in software, but the slider doesn’t seem to alter the display as much as indicated.
The Steam Deck OLED benefits from proper HDR capabilities, with up to 1000 nits of peak brightness and perfect blacks. | Image credit: Digital Foundry
Form factor differs considerably between the two handhelds. Switch 2 strikes a svelte profile, while Steam Deck OLED is substantially thicker, with large built-in grips. A lot of players will find the Deck a more ergonomic option out of the box, but one advantage of the Switch 2’s bare minimum design is that it’s easy to outfit the system with a variety of cases to improve the feel of the system. Steam Deck isn’t quite as customisable to match user tastes without replacing the rear panel. The Deck is a bit heavier, at 640g, while the Switch 2 reaches 534g. But keep in mind that if you take my advice and outfit your Switch with a case, that weight will come up right about to the Deck’s level. Neither machine feels excessive in handheld form, but both exceed the weight of historical handheld systems by some margin.
Controls are a bit controversial. The Steam Deck has an unusual layout in service of its dual trackpads, which flank the display. Traditional PC games, including strategy titles and MMOs, are typically playable on the handheld with some tweaking because of those trackpads. But some, including myself, struggle with the layout for some more action-oriented titles, particularly with the deeply inset position of the analog sticks. Plus, the system has fairly weak rumble.
Switch 2 has a more conventional layout with powerful and precise rumble functionality. The layout generally agrees with me and my RSI-prone wrists and the overall quality of the control setup is hard to critique. More exotic titles that might demand cursor input though might not be well suited to Switch 2, at least in its handheld configuration. Not having a traditional d-pad is going to put a damper on a lot of 2D games. And the lack of analogue triggers has considerable impacts on a subset of games, mostly racing titles, that depend on partial inputs for actions like breaking and accelerating.
Where games do run at native panel resolutions, the Switch 2 does retain an advantage in clarity thanks to its higher-res 1080p display. | Image credit: Digital Foundry
Moving on to device software, SteamOS is solid, but it doesn’t compare favourably to a console. There are elements of the Steam Deck interface that require touch input, like some sections of the Steam Store. Stability is also more of a concern, and sleeping and waking can be inconsistent, sometimes requiring a device restart. Switch 2 has a thoroughly tested, controller-driven interface, which has been perfectly stable for me so far. As much as I dislike some of Nintendo’s changes to the virtual game card system, I still find it easier to use than Steam Deck. And it has GameChat and GameShare, which don’t necessarily have good analogues on Steam Deck.
Obviously, it’s impressive that Valve, which is a relatively small company, has been able to produce a handheld OS that far exceeds any competing PC-based platform. However, people who are used to the ease of a console system may still find it rough in comparison. On the flipside, the Deck offers vastly more configuration options for individual games. With the Switch 2, it’s much more of a traditional console experience, where games are set up to work in a limited number of ways. That helps a lot dealing with the vast variety of PC software that the Deck can host, which stretches back over decades. Switch 2 can’t really compete with this library of titles. Most games with controller support are bound to be a good experience, save games with compatibility issues or heavy performance demands.
But Switch 2 does have the benefit of Nintendo-exclusive titles, which is a hard advantage to discount. Steam Deck’s games are games that you could play on any PC system, and most popular titles are accessible on home console platforms as well. Exclusives have historically been a huge part of console platforms, and Nintendo is steadfastly committed to the traditional console model. Valve can’t offer corresponding exclusivity for Steam Deck, but they can offer an array of third-party titles that completely dwarfs the Switch 2. It is worth mentioning though that some of those third party titles, like Star Wars Outlaws, are likely to be much more playable on a Switch 2 than Steam Deck.
Both systems offer well-designed interfaces, but the Switch 2 works a bit more reliably and the Steam Deck offers more customisability. Likewise, the Nintendo handheld features a lot of exclusive titles, while the Steam Deck’s library is larger but (almost) all of its games can be played on a regular PC, to say nothing of other console releases. | Image credit: Digital Foundry
I think the Switch 2 is better as a console-like device than the Steam Deck. It offers a streamlined, stress-free experience for playing controller-oriented games. The OS is rock-solid, it docks perfectly, and it has great exclusive games. It’s a more enjoyable, delightful machine to use moment-to-moment. If you want a slick gaming experience, it’s hard to go wrong here – but it doesn’t have the flexibility of a PC handheld. It can’t access thousands upon thousands of PC games. You can’t add special launch parameters, change up settings, swap refresh rates, or check out performance overlays. And you don’t have the control options to make cursor-oriented software work on the go.
So each machine has its strengths. The Switch 2 is a great place to enjoy a game like Cyberpunk 2077, or exclusives like Mario Kart World or Fast Fusion. But a game like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 14 benefits enormously from having trackpad input, and the Deck can play a larger variety of software, including older games that will probably never get a Switch 2 release.
It’s kind of an intractable battle: a fight between a console, and essentially a PC in a console suit. Personal preferences and priorities are going to dictate this one, but I think most gamers will find a lot to like in both devices.
Spinda might not be the strongest Pokémon in GO, but it’s easily one of the quirkiest. Why? Because no two Spinda look the same. This spotty panda-like Pokémon comes in multiple patterns, and if you’re hunting for Spinda Pattern 1, the classic look with those signature face spots, here’s exactly how to catch it, and whether you can get its shiny form.
What Is Spinda 1 in Pokémon GO?
Spinda comes in nine rotating spot patterns in Pokémon GO, and Spinda 1 is one of the original base forms. Each pattern has unique facial markings, giving trainers a fun collectible twist. These forms don’t appear in the wild; instead, they’re released through Field Research Tasks during special events or monthly rotations.
You’re *NOT* Ready for THIS Event | Ultra Unlock: Steel & Scales – Pokémon GO
How To Get Spinda 1 (July 2025 Update)
Looking for Spinda Pattern 1 right now? You’re in luck. Spinda 1 is available in July 2025 as a Field Research reward during the Summer Concert event, running from July 19 to July 22. To get it:
Spin PokéStops during the event.
Look for Research Tasks that say: “Make 5 Great Curveball Throws in a row.”
Complete the task and you’ll get a Spinda encounter as your reward.
Cross your fingers for Pattern 1 (that’s the only one available during this window).
Remember: only Pattern 1 will drop during this event, no other forms.
Can Spinda 1 Be Shiny?
Yes, Spinda 1 can be shiny, but don’t expect it to be easy. Spinda’s shiny form was rolled out across all patterns, including Pattern 1. However, since Spinda is only available through Field Research (not wild spawns), the number of encounters is limited. You get only one shot per task, making shiny hunting much harder than with typical Pokémon.Tips to improve your odds
Grind Research Tasks: Keep spinning PokéStops until you find the right one.
Team Up & Trade: If you’re lucky, a local Trainer may have a shiny Spinda 1 up for grabs.
Use Daily Incense: While Spinda doesn’t spawn via incense, it helps with overall encounters and rewards.
Is Spinda 1 Worth Collecting?
While it’s not meta-relevant in battles, Spinda is a pure collector’s flex. Pattern 1 is nostalgic, and getting the shiny version adds that extra sparkle to your Pokédex. If you’re the type who loves rare finds and exclusive forms, this is a must-have.Spinda 1 is currently back in Pokémon GO, but only for a few days during the Summer Concert event. Complete the right Field Research, hope for a shiny, and grab this quirky panda while it’s hot. Once it’s gone, it may not return for months.
Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves $ 19.96 billion – Daily Times
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
While many science books would have you believe the Earth’s lower mantle—the layer deep below the crust—is smooth, it’s actually made up of a mountainous-like topography that moves and changes just like the crust above it. Further, research shows that this lower mantle contains two continent-sized structures, which researchers have dubbed big lower-mantle basal structures, or BLOBS.
We don’t know exactly what these BLOBS consist of, but scientists suspect they could be made up of the same materials surrounding them. In fact, new research published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment suggests that the planet’s volcanic activity may be driven by volcanic plumes that move with their origins.
The origins in question, researchers believe, could be the BLOBS found deep within the Earth. These mysterious structures appear to be the driving force behind the Earth’s volcanic history, and while there are scientists hard to work trying to prove that, looking at past simulations has painted a pretty clear picture to work with.
To start with, the researchers used computer models to simulate the movements of the BLOBS over 1 billion years ago. These models showed that the BLOBS produced mantle plumes that were sometimes tilted or even rose up higher. This suggests that the eruptions seen over the past billion years likely took place above the BLOBS, or at least very close to them.
Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.
Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.
The researchers believe that this data shows that the Earth’s volcanic activity could somehow be linked to the BLOBS, despite how deep they are in the Earth. The findings are “encouraging,” the researchers note in a post on The Conversation, as it suggests that future simulations may be able to predict where mantle plumes will strike next. This could help us create a general volcano warning system.
Despite being destructive—the Hunga volcano eruption of 2022 continues to set records years later—large volcanic eruptions also have the ability to create new islands and landmasses. Knowing where they occur—or where they occurred in the past—could help us save lives and better understand how our planet formed at different points in history. Of course, we still have a lot to learn about the mysterious BLOBS found deep in the Earth. But this research is a smoking gun that could open the door for tons of new discoveries and revelations.
Doogee’s S200 series comprises three smartphones – the S200, the S200X, and the S200 Plus. These will soon be joined by the S200 Max. We’ve received the Doogee S200 Max’s images and specifications exclusively, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
Doogee S200 Plus
The Doogee S200 Max is a rugged smartphone, powered by the Dimensity 7050 SoC. It runs Android 15 and has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage onboard, which is expandable by up to 2TB. The smartphone is built around a 6.72″ 120Hz LCD of FullHD+ resolution.
Around the back is another display. It’s square-shaped and has a diagonal of 1.3″ and a resolution of 240×240 pixels. We are told it offers an off-screen time display function, YouTube preview, dynamic long-video dials, and customizable dynamic signatures.
The Doogee S200 Max features four cameras for photography – a 32MP selfie camera on the front and a triple camera setup on the rear, comprising a 108MP primary camera, a 20MP Night Vision camera, and a 2MP macro unit.
The primary and selfie cameras use Samsung’s S5KHM6SX03 and S5KGD1SP sensors, respectively, while the night vision camera uses Sony’s IMX350 sensor. The rear cameras are joined by an infrared night vision light.
Another highlight of the Doogee S200 Max is the dual flashlight located on the top. It has a beam distance of over 10 meters and supports five modes – strong light, low light, extremely bright, SOS, and strobe.
Doogee S200 Max’s color options
Keeping the entire package up and running is a massive 22,000 mAh Si/C battery with 66W charging support. The smartphone also supports 18W reverse wired charging.
Other highlights of the Doogee S200 Max include an IP68/69K rating, MIL-STD-810H certification, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a customizable key, and NFC.
The Doogee S200 Max will come in gray and gold colors and will be priced at $559.99 (€480/INR48,265). Doogee is expected to reveal its availability details soon.
Pokémon Go is hosting a “Summer Concert” event from July 19-22, though the event perks will only actually be active from 5-8 p.m. each day in your local time. As part of the event, music composed by Junichi Masuda will be playing during the short time the bonuses are active, giving the feel of an actual in-game concert.
During the event period, lures will last for one hour (instead of 30 minutes) and they’ll attract some specific Pokémon. There’s also an increased chance to find Chatot shiny — which is notable since Chatot is usually a regional Pokémon. This event is pretty barren when it comes to perks, which makes sense, as the 2025 “Water Festival” event is still running during part of the “Summer Concert” event duration.
You can see the other bonuses for Pokémon Go’s “Summer Concert” event below.
Pokémon Go ‘Summer Concert’ event Field Research and rewards
Spinning a PokéStop during the event period may yield this task:
Note that there are eight different variations of Spinda to encounter, so even if you think you’ve already completed one of these tasks, it may be worthwhile to complete more of them to get more variations. Here’s what the available Spinda look like:
Note that there is a ninth Spinda with a heart-shaped marking, but this version is not available during this event.
Pokémon Go ‘Summer Concert’ event boosted lure spawns
These Pokémon will spawn more frequently during the event period when you use a Lure Module:
*There is an “increased chance” of finding this shiny in the wild as part of the event.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha is confident his new-look side is shaping up well towards next year’s World Cup as it takes on Bangladesh in a T20 series starting in Dhaka from Sunday.
Agha has been leading the short format side with star batter Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan out since last year.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has been rested for the three-match series and seam bowlers Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim are also missing because of injuries.
Agha said the missing players could still be considered for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year.
“We have changed the way we want to play but we are confident of our build-up and direction,” said Agha on Saturday.
“We are going for this series with ample preparations as Bangladesh can be a challenging team in their home conditions.”
New Zealander Mike Hesson is Pakistan’s new white-ball coach. His first assignment was a 3-0 series win at home against Bangladesh 3-0 last month.
Also read | Which teams have qualified for T20 World Cup 2026?
With leg-spinner Shadab Khan also injured, Pakistan has picked two uncapped fast bowlers in Salman Mirza and Ahmed Daniyal.
Bangladesh won a T20 series 2-1 in Sri Lanka last week.
“What happened in Sri Lanka is in the past,” said captain Litton Das.
“We have to face a new challenge starting tomorrow. We are ready for this challenge.
“We have the mentality to beat any team, but we have to play well on the particular day and not entirely bank on home conditions.”
Bangladesh has kept the same squad that went to Sri Lanka
The second and third matches are on Tuesday and Thursday, also in Dhaka.
Even a month after the US attacks on three major nuclear sites inside Iran, the effects of the airstrikes on June 22 remain unclear amid conflicting damage assessments.
The strikes were a part of what US President Donald Trump called “Operation Midnight Hammer” and targeted the nuclear facilities in the cities of Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.
The operation involved 125 aircraft and specialty B-2 bombers carrying 30,000-pound bombs officially designated as Massive Ordinance Penetrators — and colloquially known as “bunker busters.”
Fordo heavily fortified
The strike in Fordo was the most significant. It is the country’s most heavily fortified nuclear facility buried deep inside a mountain to shield it from attacks.
It is unclear when Iran began building the plant in Fordo but its existence was revealed to the world in 2009. The facility was designed to house around 3,000 centrifuges, machines used to enrich uranium.
How Iran’s economy suffers from war with Israel
As part of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — with global powers, Tehran agreed to convert the site into a research facility and halt uranium enrichment there for 15 years.
But after US President Donald Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, Iran resumed enrichment activity at Fordo.
Iran has been enriching uranium to 60% purity at the site, well beyond what is required for civilian nuclear power generation purposes. Tehran also announced plans to further expand enrichment capacity at the site.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA )also said it had found uranium particles at Fordo enriched to as high as 83.7% purity — significantly close to the 90% enrichment needed for weapons-grade uranium.
Targeting uranium enrichment facilities
Another target of the US operation was the nuclear facility in Natanz, Iran’s largest uranium enrichment hub, located around 140 miles (225 kilometers) south of Tehran.
Like the one in Fordo, Natanz is also a subterranean nuclear site that can hold around 50,000 centrifuges.
Both the Fordo and Natanz facilities had previously been targeted multiple times in a series of sophisticated attacks.
Iranian officials said these attacks — ranging from the 2010 Stuxnet cyberattack to incidents disabling the Fordo power grid and a remote-controlled explosion in Natanz four years ago — had already caused extensive destruction and severely damaged their enrichment capabilities.
The third nuclear site targeted by the US was the one in Isfahan, which was suspected of hosting near weapons-grade nuclear fuel.
In simple terms, this facility was converting natural uranium into uranium hexafluoride gas, which goes into centrifuges at Natanz and Fordo for uranium enrichment.
Russia provides fuel for Iran’s sole nuclear power plant
The sites at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan are uranium enrichment facilities, and experts estimate that Iran already has more than 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of highly enriched uranium.
Despite the damage US strikes caused to the three sites, the fate of this enriched uranium remains uncertain.
Iranian government sources mostly claim that the enriched uranium has been moved to “secure” locations.
However, several media outlets have quoted Israeli sources as saying that the uranium was distributed among the three sites and “was not relocated.”
A senior Israeli official, who did not want to be named, recently told the BBC that a portion of the enriched uranium was located deep within the Isfahan facility and that Iran could try to retrieve it.
The three targeted sites are believed not to have active nuclear reactors. However, Iran does have an operating nuclear power plant, in Bushehr, some 750 kilometer south of Tehran. The plant, which is monitored by the IAEA, is run by uranium supplied by Russia. Its spent fuel is also returned to Russia to prevent reprocessing into weapons-grade material.
The plant was not targeted in the US strikes.
Is Middle East peace within reach with US involvement?
Monitoring radiation levels in Iran
Following the US attacks, the IAEA said it didn’t notice any increase in radiation levels in the region.
As no active reactors were targeted, the potential risk of radiation is limited to leakage of the uranium hexafluoride gas from enriched uranium storage tanks, centrifuge cascades or pipelines.
If released, the gas would react with moisture in the air to form uranyl fluoride and hydrofluoric acid, the latter being a highly corrosive and dangerous acid.
Contact with this acid or inhalation of its vapors can destroy lung tissue, and cause severe and deadly respiratory problems, which could result in suffocation and death.
“There are indeed indications that uranium hexafluoride was released at the facility site. Both radiological hazards and elevated radiation levels, as well as chemical dangers, were mentioned. This can only refer to the release of hydrofluoric acid,” Clemens Walther, professor and nuclear expert at the Institute for Radioecology and Radiation Protection at the University of Hanover, told DW.
“However, it was clearly stated that the incident was confined to the site itself. No spread into residential areas has been reported.”
Roland Wolff, an expert in radiation protection, medical and radiation physics, said uranium, as a heavy metal, is chemically toxic.
“It can, for example, cause kidney damage. Incorporation increases the risk of cancer as well as the risk of genetic damage due to the short-range alpha radiation. Depending on the scenario, this presents a potential hazard for both workers and the general population,” he told DW.
How much damage was done to Iran’s nuclear program?
Risk of a Chernobyl-style disaster?
The nuclear meltdowns in Chernobyl in 1986, and Fukushima in 2011, highlighted the radiation risks caused by reactor accidents.
The Fukushima disaster occurred when a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling systems of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, on Japan’s east coast.
Radioactive material was released from the site, leading to tens of thousands of people being evacuated.
But Wolff said the targeted sites don’t pose a Chernobyl-style danger.
“The radioactive inventory in enrichment facilities, unlike in nuclear reactors, does not contain fission products,” said the radiation expert. “Furthermore, it was not released into high altitudes by an explosion, as was the case in Chernobyl. Therefore, potential contamination is assumed to be local.”
Radioactive can only occur during the Radioactive Carrot weather event in Grow a Garden.
In this weather event, players will need to come together to launch a Carrot, like a rocket, into the sky to spread the Radioactive mutation.
For all the specific details, let’s have a look at the Radioactive mutation and Radioactive Carrot weather in Grow a Garden.
On this page:
To see this content please enable targeting cookies.
Looking for free goodies? Check out our Grow a Garden Codes and tips and tricks page.
How to get Radioactive mutation in Grow a Garden
To get a Radioactive mutation in Grow a Garden, you need to have experienced the Radioactive Carrot weather event in game. Afterwards (or during if you’re lucky), investigate your plants and see if a fruit has a glowing green hue. If so, this is a Radioactive mutation!
This is what the Radioactive mutation will look like, plants will glow green and if you see this – or the tag that’ll be associated with this plant, you’ll know you have it! | Image credit: Eurogamer/The Garden Game
Whilst it may vary between different plants and will be affected by other mutations you have on a particular plant, the Radioactive mutation has around a x118 multiplier for your crops. This is based on our Radioactive Orange Tulip being worth 91,028 Sheckles, and the base value of Orange Tulips being 767.
To get the most out of your crops, be sure to pair this with other mutations to be able to sell them for an even higher price.
Grow a Garden Radioactive Carrot explained
Radioactive Carrot is a weather event in Grow a Garden where a Carrot will be summoned, and players in the area will be required to donate their own plants and fill it up enough to launch the Carrot – acting as a rocket – into the sky to then deploy the Radioactive mutation.
At the time of writing, the only Radioactive Carrot event to take place was an admin-spawned weather event. This means it only occurred because the game’s developers expressly made it happen. We don’t know if it will always be an admin spawned event, however, so keep an eye on those skies!
Image credit: Eurogamer/The Garden Game
Still, your best chance to experience the Radioactive Carrot event is to jump into Grow a Garden an hour before it updates as the admins always like to run special weather events in the build up. For UK players, this would be 2pm (BST) with the update arriving at 3pm (BST).
Hope you have a Radioactive mutation! Take a look at our best mutations page.
