When word of a follow-up to the ever-popular Wii and Wii U consoles was brewing, few expected it to be as magnificent as the Nintendo Switch. Becoming one of the best-selling consoles in history, even topping its predecessor, the Switch felt like a gamer’s dream when it burst onto the scene in 2017. It allowed you to play on your TV, but then seamlessly transitioned to a handheld unit when you wanted to move to another room or head out of the house. Lest we forget, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a launch game unlike we’d seen since Super Mario World with the SNES. Needless to say, it was gonna be a tough act to follow.
Today, Nintendo has finally announced its next console, and it won’t be something brand new but a sequel to the Switch, much like the Super Nintendo was a sequel to the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Here’s what we know so far…
Bigger and (Hopefully) Better
While there’s not a ton of info on the Switch 2, Nintendo did launch a trailer for the upcoming console. It sorta compares the new model to the outgoing one, highlighting the obvious size difference. No dimensions have been given yet, but the screen is definitely taller and wider than the 7-inch OLED display on the first Switch.
I’m most excited about the wider Joy-Con controllers. I, for one, find the ones on the regular Switch to be far too small for any comfortable gaming. Likewise, the ones for the Switch 2 look like they’ve been somewhat ergonomically designed, with finger grooves at the base, which allows for easier and sounder connectivity into the handheld screen as well. You simply pop them in rather than trying (and struggling) to slide them into the screen instead. This is big!
The Joy-Cons are also revealed in black with blue and red trim, rather than the all-blue and all-red controllers from before (later options became available). The trailer also clearly shows the stand built into the back of the main handheld unit, just like before. However, eagle-eyed viewers will also notice a second USB-C port on the top for charging.
Offering Some Speculation
No game announcements have been made official, but the trailer showed some footage of what looks to be a new Mario Kart, which might be the launch title for this console when it drops sometime this year. Nintendo has also announced that the Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with your old Switch games — for the most part (there was no delineation as to which games won’t be supported).
Again, not much info has come out as of yet but we can hope that, with the larger console comes longer battery life. Graphics will surely be as up-to-date as possible, as will the processor, allowing the Switch 2’s handheld to handle some games the predecessor had some trouble with.
Some would say this looks to be a “safer” approach to a new system but we love the small upgrades, much like with a new-gen smartphone. I don’t think we needed anything groundbreaking at this point because most users are still very satisfied with the Switch formula. This looks like it will be a win.
Spec Sheet
Model: Nintendo Switch 2
Screen Size: TBA
Battery Life: TBA
Price: TBA
Release Date: 2025
Pricing & Availability
There’s no word on the release date or pricing for the Switch 2 but you can expect more information in the coming weeks or months. The original Switch was priced at $300 upon launch, with an upgraded OLED screen raising the price to $350, so expect the sequel to be around that much. You can get more info on the Switch 2 Experience tour dates and cities from Nintendo’s site as well, where you’ll be able to try out the new system just like they did with the first Switch.
Recap
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo gives a first look at the upcoming Switch 2, making some improvements on the popular predecessor, such as a larger screen and Joy-Con controllers.
