Nintendo presents the Switch 2
Nintendo has presented the successor console to the Switch in a short video. You can find all the information about the Switch 2 here.
Hooray, the Switch 2 is here! With a post on X and a video on Youtube, Nintendo officially announces its new console:
What you need to know about the new hardware
Here you will find all the important information about the Switch 2 summarised:
What has changed fundamentally
?
Nothing. Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 is a handheld-console hybrid. You can use the device on the go and in the new, stylish dock on the TV.
Source: Nintendo
How big is the console?
The Switch 2 is significantly larger than the first Switch. The trailer does not reveal how much bigger in detail. Insiders assume it will be around 8 inches - for comparison: the Switch had a 6.2-inch display and the newer OLED model had a 7-inch display.
Source: Nintendo
Source: Nintendo
What do the new Joy-Cons look like?
The Joy-Cons are also significantly larger than the old versions. However, the new version does not appear to be any more ergonomic - the controllers are flat at the back. They are now magnetically attached to the console and accessories.
Source: Nintendo
You get a chic coat of paint with subtle accents.
Source: Nintendo
In the short teaser video, Nintendo seems to hint at the new mouse functionality of the Joy-Cons. The small controllers have an optical mouse sensor built in between the magnetic SL and SR buttons.
Source: Nintendo
Which games have been announced?
Officially none. You can only see a short snippet of a new "Mario Kart" title with a new track. You'll have to wait a little longer for more information (see below).
Source: Nintendo
Is the console compatible with Switch 1 games?
Yes, the Switch 2 will play both physical and digital Switch 1 games.
Source: Nintendo
When will the new console be released?
Nintendo only states 2025 as the launch period. Insiders expect a launch in May or June 2025.
More details?
The Switch 2 has an additional USB-C port on the top of the device. What this is used for is still unclear. The console has a wide kickstand that can be adjusted with similar flexibility as the OLED model.
Source: Nintendo
What hasn't been confirmed yet?
We now know that the screen is definitely larger than the Switch 1's screen - but whether Nintendo is using an LCD or OLED display remains a mystery for now.
It is also unclear what the new Pro Controller will look like. The function of the mysterious C-button on the Joy-Cons (below the Home button) also remains a mystery. Rumours about the implementation of Hall Effect joysticks also remain unconfirmed.
Source: Nintendo
Nintendo has also not yet provided any information on the price of the console. Nor have any details been revealed about the Switch's inner workings.
What happens now?
Games were not presented in the short trailer - with the exception of a brief glimpse of a new "Mario Kart". Nintendo has already announced a "Nintendo Direct" presentation for 2 April. At this presentation, more details about the hardware and the game line-up will be presented.
Nintendo has already announced various opportunities to play the Switch 2 at the end of April. Among other things, the console will be playable for the general public from 25 April to 27 April in Berlin.
A look back
It has been a long journey for Nintendo fans until the Switch 2 was announced. The Switch is now almost eight years old. That's twice as old as Nintendo's last console, the Wii U. With almost 150 million units sold, the Switch is the third most successful console of all time, behind the Nintendo DS (154 million) and the PS2 (160 million).
The rumour mill about a Switch successor first started churning in October 2021 - at the launch of the Switch OLED model. According to insider reports, Nintendo originally planned to release a "Pro" model of the Switch - with significantly more power. Due to supply bottlenecks for semiconductor products, the company allegedly "only" opted for an OLED screen update.
Since then, the rumours about new, more powerful Nintendo hardware have multiplied. Over time, the Pro rumours turned into Switch 2 rumours. In recent weeks and months, there has been a veritable leak avalanche about the new console's hardware. Nintendo was not impressed by this and remained largely silent.
After years of guesswork and speculation, Nintendo fans can now look to the future with confidence and anticipation. My body is ready.
We talk about the topic in detail in the current episode of the A Tech Affair podcast.
My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.