Everything We Know About the Nintendo Switch 2

WatchMojo

Get ready for the ultimate breakdown of Nintendo's most anticipated gaming console! We're diving deep into all the rumors, potential specs, release date speculation, and exciting features that might define the next generation of Nintendo gaming.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are looking at everything we know about the Nintendo Switch

00:112.

00:12Nintendo has finally unveiled the successor to its wildly popular hybrid console, so we

00:17are going over all the details players need to know.

00:27SCREEN FEATURES First, let's go over the features of the

00:34Switch's tablet and the important details when playing handheld.

00:38Obviously, the screen itself is a bit larger than the original Switch.

00:42Although Nintendo didn't give an exact measurement, others have reported it to be 8 inches long.

00:48The first model was 6.2 inches, and the OLED was 7.

00:52Speaking of that upgraded model, the Switch 2 will reportedly not feature an OLED screen,

00:58instead sticking with LCD.

01:01Those hoping for a higher picture quality may be disappointed, but this decision was

01:05probably made to keep production costs down and therefore sell more units.

01:10The tablet's buttons and other features are largely the same as the original, but

01:14with a few notable additions.

01:17You've got your power button, volume buttons, automatic brightness sensor, cartridge slot,

01:22and thankfully, a headphone jack.

01:25In addition to a USB-C port on the bottom, Nintendo included a second on the top, a small

01:30but appreciated change.

01:33We are not sure if this is simply for convenience or if it will serve another function, with

01:37an as-of-yet-unannounced peripheral.

01:40But it's always been a pain to play with the Switch propped up on its kickstand and

01:45then needed to charge, since the port is only on the bottom.

01:49The Switch 2 will, of course, still feature the kickstand.

01:53It's much wider than that of the original Switch, but thinner than the one on the OLED

01:58model.

01:59Naturally, the Switch 2 will also come with a dock to connect to your TV, and it looks

02:05mostly the same, save for the new logo and rounded corners on top.

02:10While the OLED model's dock featured a port to connect an ethernet cable, unlike the original,

02:15Nintendo only showed off the front of the dock for the Switch 2.

02:19Controller Features The Joy-Cons, if that's what they're still

02:23called, are getting a much-needed makeover.

02:27In addition to having larger buttons simply due to the increase in size, which should

02:32make them much more comfortable to hold, there are some new interesting features.

02:37Nintendo is getting rid of the slide-in connectivity of the predecessor.

02:41Now the Joy-Cons will lock in via a port on each side of the tablet.

02:46Unofficial reports have also claimed they connect magnetically.

02:50While Nintendo didn't confirm this, it does look like they do in the announcement video.

02:55Detaching them will be a bit easier as well.

02:59The original versions featured a way too small button on the back that released them, while

03:03those of the Switch 2 will have a much larger button to pop them out.

03:08Now let's talk about new features.

03:11There's a button directly underneath the home button on the right Joy-Con that isn't

03:15there on the original.

03:17While people have speculated what this might do, no one knows for sure.

03:22More importantly, on the side where you can find the plug-in port and sync button, you'll

03:27notice a sensor.

03:29Prior to the official announcement, leakers claimed the new controllers would have some

03:33functionality similar to a computer mouse, which this sensor would hint at.

03:38The video also shows the controllers sliding around a flat surface inside a new wrist strap,

03:44which also seems to confirm this.

03:47If it is true, that could lead to some really interesting uses in a variety of games, such

03:53as shooters like Splatoon, life sims that let you design certain aspects like Animal

03:58Crossing, or, dare we say it, a new Mario Paint.

04:03Nintendo has yet to reveal a new Pro Controller for the Switch 2.

04:07Reports from last year claimed that the Switch's Pro Controllers would also work with the

04:12successor.

04:13While this isn't confirmed, I certainly hope it's true, because those can be pricey.

04:19Nintendo also hasn't confirmed whether we'll be able to connect older Joy-Cons to the Switch

04:242.

04:25But since you can connect them wirelessly to the Switch Lite, it doesn't seem like

04:29doing so would be an issue, unless Nintendo just doesn't want us to.

04:35Under the Hood

04:39While the Switch 2 will obviously be more powerful than the original, its actual tech

04:44specs have also not been revealed by Nintendo.

04:48But that doesn't mean some information isn't available.

04:52Nintendo gave a behind-closed-doors look at the console at Gamescom in August of 2024.

04:58Reports back then claimed Nintendo showed it running Breath of the Wild with a higher

05:02framerate and resolution, as well as the Matrix Awakens Unreal Engine 5 tech demo.

05:08Those reports also claimed it was on par with Sony and Microsoft's current consoles, at

05:14least in the visuals department.

05:15Further reports have claimed it will use a custom NVIDIA chip able to include both raytracing

05:20and DLSS, will have 12GB of RAM as opposed to the original's 4, and 256GB of memory

05:29storage as opposed to the original's 32.

05:33Furthermore, following the announcement video, developer Gerald Dulay of Sun Grand Studios,

05:38who is very familiar with Nintendo hardware having released several games on it, dissected

05:43the brief look at the new Mario Kart to show how powerful the upcoming console is.

05:49He pointed to how the teaser showed physically-based rendering for shaders on certain objects,

05:55impacted by effects like lighting and reflections.

05:58He also noted the high-resolution ground textures and how taxing they can be for a

06:03console's RAM.

06:04Essentially, his findings do line up with what we've heard about how powerful the

06:09Switch 2 may be.

06:11The Switch 2 will naturally be more powerful when docked, but either way it sounds like

06:15a major step up.

06:17This means we could get more third-party support from AAA developers with less of a sacrifice

06:23than what we've seen with the Switch.

06:24And to have volumetric lighting at that resolution at this frame rate is insane.

06:31I cannot...

06:32I hope Mike's explanation helps you understand this is a massive deal.

06:36The Games

06:37Of course, the most important part of a new Nintendo console is what you can play on it.

06:48Nintendo has confirmed that most Switch games, both physical and digital, will be playable

06:53on the Switch 2, however, it has also stated that not all of them will be.

06:59Which exact games won't be backwards compatible remains to be seen, but we'd imagine those

07:04are very specific cases that use certain features the majority of games don't, like Ring Fit

07:11Adventure or Nintendo's take on VR, Labo.

07:15Nintendo has also confirmed that the Switch's online service will be carrying over, although

07:21if it will come with new content to celebrate the launch or just be a one-to-one transfer

07:26is unclear.

07:27But what about new games?

07:29Well, we've already mentioned Mario Kart 9, or Mario Kart 10 if you're one of those

07:34who counts Tour as a mainline entry.

07:37Outside of that, there's only a few games that have been confirmed so far.

07:41The teaser trailer for Pokemon Legends Z to A stated it would launch on Nintendo Switch

07:47Systems, implying a cross-platform release.

07:51In a similar vein, the console trailer for the remaster Yooka-Re-Playlee just showed

07:55a Nintendo logo instead of a Switch one, also hinting it would release on the new platform.

08:01There are also a few indie games confirmed, like the life sim My Time at Evershine, the

08:07turn-based RPG Bestiario, and the open-world MMORPG Secret Forest.

08:13Additionally, there have been a lot of rumors floating around from various sources about

08:18big AAA games planning to release on the Switch, too.

08:23Some of these aren't too surprising, like Assassin's Creed Mirage and Shadows, given

08:27several games in the franchise have been released on Nintendo platforms, or Red Dead Redemption

08:332, the first of which was ported to Switch.

08:36Others are surprising, though, like Halo The Master Chief Collection and Final Fantasy

08:41VII Remake and Rebirth.

08:43None of those have been confirmed yet, but if the console's supposed power is to be

08:48believed, then it's definitely possible the Switch 2 can run them.

08:52God damn, I can practically taste tobacco in here.

08:57Hurry it up!

08:58Release Information

09:06Nintendo has only stated that the Switch 2 will be releasing sometime in 2025.

09:12The announcement video also brought news of a Direct releasing on April 2nd.

09:16This is when we'll get more information on the games coming to the platform, and likely

09:21more information on the console itself.

09:24We also don't know how much it will cost.

09:27Following the announcement, some sources predicted it will cost around 400 US dollars, since

09:32the OLED Switch is 350.

09:35However, further leaks have placed it a bit higher at 450 for the console itself and 500

09:42for a Mario Kart bundle.

09:44But we'll just have to wait for further word from Nintendo.

09:48Since it was just announced and there is no definitive price point yet, the Switch 2 is

09:52also unavailable for pre-order.

09:55Many expect those to go live alongside the April Direct.

09:59Nintendo has planned worldwide hands-on events through April and May, which would make the

10:04earliest possible release in June.

10:08And wouldn't you know it, that's just what the leakers are claiming, too.

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