As technology advances, so do console generations. It’s time for a refresh of the Nintendo Switch, which is now over seven years old. Nintendo Switch 2 rumors are circulating for years. Now, we’re seeing some signs of life. In a short trailer released on January 16, the company officially announced the sequel to its most popular home console.
Although the Switch 2 is functionally similar to its predecessor, it has a larger screen, magnetic Joy-Cons, and a sleeker look. The company has also confirmed that the upcoming console is backwards compatible for Switch games. Nintendo has been keeping its cards close.
The reveal confirmed some rumors, and had a few interesting details that were only available to those who paid close attention. All the juicy details will have to be waited for until a special Nintendo Direct event on April 2. Unfortunately, this date is not a Two’sday but a Wednesday.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was officially announced on 16 January
Rumor mills had been circulating. Heavy It was predicted that Nintendo would unveil the Switch 2 on 16 January. This turned out to be true.
According to the company, there hasn’t been any changes made to the core design. It’s a portable system with Joy-Cons that can be detached. The Switch 2 can also be docked for large-screen gaming. However, there are some notable differences from the original console. The next-generation Joy-Cons won’t slide into place mechanically. They’ll instead attach to the main unit magnetically. There’s a small connector which is likely to be used to charge the controllers, and possibly remove the need to connect them via Bluetooth. At this time, it’s not clear if Joy-Cons that came with the original Switch system will work with the Switch 2.
Another big (and welcome) change to the Switch 2 is the addition of another USB-C port at the top. This should make it easier to plug in other accessories while the Switch 2 docked. It’s nice to see Nintendo have kept the headphone jack. Let’s hope that Bluetooth headphone compatibility is available from the start this time, and Nintendo doesn’t make everyone wait for four yearsorto get that feature.
Upgrades are also coming to the kickstand. It spans the entire console, just like the Switch OLED. According to the trailer, it appears that this one is fully adjustable so you can adjust the viewing angle according to your preferences.
There are still many unknowns about the upcoming console. We don’t know what the specs are or what kind of display it will use. We don’t yet know anything about the battery life, UI or how to launch games. On April 2, we’ll probably learn a lot.
When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be released?
2025. At this point, we don’t know anything for certain.
It is highly unlikely that Nintendo releases the console before April 2, the dedicated Direct. This is not just because it’s the beginning of Nintendo’s new financial year. Genki, the accessory manufacturer that has been a major leaker in recent months, is not confirming this. The console will be released by Aprilaccording to the claim.
If we haven’t heard the release date by then, we will learn it during the Direct on April 2.
When can I test the Nintendo Switch 2 console? Nintendo has announced a worldwide roadshow that will allow gamers to try out the console. These events begin in New York and Paris from April 3-6. Other events will take place over the next two months. This lends credence some reports that Nintendo will release its Switch 2 in June.
Registration for the Switch 2 Experience in the US (in New York City, Los Angeles and Paris). Sign up begins on January 17th at 3PM ET until January 26th. Signing up requires a Nintendo Account. Nintendo will randomly select the winners of the free tickets. The list of Nintendo Switch 2 Experience Events is as follows
North America: New York,
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Los Angeles,
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April 11-13 2025;
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London April 11-13 2025;
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Milan April 25–27 2025;
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Berlin April 25–27 2025,
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Madrid May 9-11 2025,
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Amsterdam May 9-11 2025,
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Will the Nintendo Switch 2 be weird?
So far, everything we’ve seen about this console is pretty traditional. It looks just like the original Switch but better. It looks great, but will it have any of the unpredictable Nintendo magic? Maybe! Two additions are so puzzling that people can’t even make out their hair.
Genki has just published a landing for their Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories. This landing page includes a video which gives a detailed look at a Switch 2 model. pic.twitter.com/Db7RSk4YlQ
— Bob Wulff (@BobWulff) January 8, 2025
Keen eyed will have noticed a button on the bottom right Joy-Con. It is not yet clear what it does. Could it initiate voice-chat during gameplay? Could it calibrate controllers? Could it create an oversized hologram of Bowser for your living room? We’ll just have to wait and watch.
On to the updated Joy-Cons. Each controller appears to have a new sensor. It looks like a It’s a lot like the optical sensorthat is used in a computer mouse. This has led to speculations that players will be allowed to flip over the Joy-Con and use it as a mouse. The trailer shows the Joy-Cons moving on a flat surface with the connector side down, looking suspiciously similar to a mouse.
Why would anyone want this? I can only think of three words. New Mario Paint.
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 compatible with ?
In November 2024, the company confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be backwards-compatible. It will also have access to Nintendo Online so that users can play all those old retro games.
Nintendo confirmed in the original Nintendo Switch 2 press announcement that both physical and digital Switch titles will work with the new system. It did note that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” more details about the games will be revealed in the future.
What about specs? It’s hard to pinpoint the specs. One thing is for sure: The Switch 2 hardware will be more powerful. It was already outdated in 2017. According to one analyst, he obtained a spec sheet that was published in the Korean United Daily News and stated that the Switch 2 would be more powerful than the Switch hardware. The Switch 2024 would have an eight-core Cortex A78AE processor8GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. I agree, as these specs will be about as underpowered as the original Switch in 2017. Some reports disagree. Do indicate that the console includes 12GB of RAM.
According to another source, the eight-core processor will be packaged in an NVIDIA-produced package. Tegra239 (system on chip)This makes sense, given that the Switch currently runs on an NVIDIA processor. The Switch 2’s GPU will be the major differentiator. While the CPU will be faster, it will be the new GPU of Switch 2 that will make a big difference. It’s almost confirmed that the Switch 2 supports DLSS. This is NVIDIA’s “deep learning supersampling” technology for upscaling. It would allow the console render games at a lower resolution internally, while outputting a higher-resolution image. Fun fact: we wrote about how DLSS would be perfect for the Nintendo Switch 2 back in 2018, when the technology was introduced alongside the RTX 20 Series.
There is still some uncertainty about the Switch 2, DLSS, and frame generation. Will NVIDIA’s algorithm automatically clean up existing games? DLSS upscaling, regardless of its exact implementation, will be a major leap forward over the rudimentary tools available to Nintendo Switch designers.
There are many contradictory rumors about the display. Early reports from reliable sources indicated that the Switch 2 would feature an 8-inch LCD display. In the reveal trailer, the Switch 2’s screen looks bigger than the original Switch.
Some experts have suggested that this would be an OLED display, while others have claimed it would be a Mini-LED display (19459078) A Mini-LED Display is an LCD display with a backlight that’s made from (surprise!) Edge lighting is replaced by mini-LEDs. This allows for local dimming and makes the blacks even blacker. I’m hedging here. I think the LCD model will be used to save costs. An OLED or Mini LED model may follow later. Mini-LED screens cost less than OLED displays so they are a possibility for launch.
Recent reports suggest that the console will output 4K in docked mode and 1080p when handheld. This is a much better experience than the original Switch. It’s still not clear if the Switch 2 is going to offer performance or visual improvements to original Switch games.
What will the Nintendo Switch 2 price be?
While we don’t know much about the price, we have plenty of information to work with. The original Nintendo Switch was launched at $300. This is about the same as “magic number” for Nintendo console releases over the past few years. The Wii U was also $300.
There are rumors that Nintendo may increase the price of the Switch 2. There are numerous outlets Some reports have said it will cost $400or even more. Analysts who predicted the $400 console were also confident it would be available by the end 2024, but that didn’t come to pass.
If you look back in history, there are precedents for a price increase. The GameCube cost $200 and the Wii $250. The Wii U, Switch, and other consoles have increased to $300, and numbers tend to increase. A $400 price tag would be nearly as expensive as a PS5 or Xbox Series X. This would also make it the same price as a 256GB LCD steam deck.
We should confirm the price at the Nintendo Direct on April 2.
Do we have any information about launch games?
Nope. The reveal trailer gave a sneak peek at a brand new Mario Kart. Nintendo released Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U more than a decade ago, and has been milking this cash cow ever since. It’s sold over 64 million copies across the console and Switch. It’s time for a brand new entry!
We’ve been waiting a long time for a 3D Mario adventure, so it’s possible that a new title could be the launch title. This would be a huge seller for the system. Your guess is as good mine. We can expect a title from Ubisoft, and an oddball one like 1-Switch .
There will be a game if there is a console gimmick. It’s also possible that Metroid Prime 4 will be released in a dual version, like Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess before it.
We’re almost certain to learn more about the Switch 2 launch line-up during the Nintendo Direct on April 2. Set your alarm for this one.
This is all we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 as of today. We will update this article as we receive reliable rumors and information from our sources. Below are any changes made to the original article.
Updated, January 15, 2025 at 12:10 PM ET : This article has been updated with rumors regarding a possible console announcement this week.
Update, January 16, 20,25, 10:33AM ET : This story has been updated with official details about Nintendo Switch 2 based on the reveal trailer and the press release.
