Stay calm folks – I come bearing news of great importance. Nintendo have finally announced the successor to the Nintendo Switch 2. That’s right, earlier today Nintendo posted a video reveal of the Switch U Nintendo Switch 2 on YouTube. After launching in 2017, the original Switch has been starting to show it’s age and is certainly due a sequel. That said, Nintendo haven’t always done so well with their sequels *cough – Wii U*. Nintendo, I beg you, do not mess this up.
So what do we now know?
Well truthfully, the launch trailer is incredibly shy on details. There’s no voiceover and virtually no text on screen whatsoever. The video largely features 3D renders of the new device which are enough to ascertain:
- The new console is called the Nintendo Switch 2:
While not a particularly inspiring name, it really says all it needs to. We’ve seen before that changing names unnecessarily can cause consumer confusion – anyone remember the Wii U? - The console is a fair amount larger than it’s predecessor, with a much larger display:
What isn’t clear though is whether or not this will be an OLED display or some other display technology. In the case of the original Nintendo Switch, an OLED model launched at a later date - The JoyCons (if that’s what they’re still called) now attach seemingly magnetically:
This will come as good news to all those who’ve managed to rip the side rails off their Nintendo Switch or have found. that the JoyCon release tabs have failed over time - There’s a redesigned kickstand that allows a great range of positions:
The original Nintendo Switch stand was laughably bad, with only one latch position and it being offset to one side. This was largely improved upon with the Nintendo Switch OLED - There are now USB-C ports on both the bottom and top of the device:
A common complaint with the original Switch was that charging it in handheld mode was complicated, and in tabletop mode it was impossible This was due to the fact that the consoles only USB-C port was located at it’s base - The console still has a game card slot and is backward compatible with Nintendo Switch titles:
Unlike many newer-generation consoles, Nintendo have announced backward compatibility with most Switch physical and digital games. Presumably the reason they’re saying “most” and not “all” is due to physical changes to the hardware itself that would mean you weren’t able to use accessories such as ToyCons.
The trailer also reveals a yet-unannounced Mario Kart game. While there’s virtually no information available regarding this game, the trailer does show a new “Mario Brothers Circuit” and appears to suggest races can now include up to 24 karts.
What don’t we know?
With all that said, there’s still some really important things that we don’t yet know:
- When the console will launch:
The announcement trailer offers little launch information beyond a vague “2025” - How much it will cost:
The original Nintendo Switch launched here in Canada at $400. Given ever-changing market conditions it’s hard to make good estimation of a launch price. With that being said, a new PS5 still retails at $580 so a launch price of around $400 would seem about right - Specifications of any kind for the device:
The Nintendo Switch has alway struggled with power – running an older gen processor held it back in the performance department – which limited the ability of devs to launch ports of games on par with Xbox or Playstation consoles - Launch titles (beyond, presumably, the new Mario Kart game):
As yet, no games have been announced. With that said, we are still expecting a new Metroid Prime game this year, and a new Pokemon iteration. It will be interesting to see if these launch with any Switch 2 performance tweaks
Some thoughts
Nintendo have known success but they have also known failure. Unfortunately, in recent years they seem to flip flop between the two when releasing new consoles. While the Nintendo 64 was beloved, the Gamecube never really took off. The Wii was an instant smash hit but the Wii U sold less than 15% as many units. The Nintendo Switch has set sales records and currently sits as the third most sold console of all time (beaten only by the Nintendo DS and Playstation 2).
As a result, there’s a lot of pressure on the Switch 2 to perform well in terms of sales. It’s likely as a result of this that Nintendo have decided the play the sequel relatively safely. This is obvious in the way that the Switch 2 iterates rather than reinventing the wheel.
If I, as a casual gamer, could make a wish list there wouldn’t be a lot on it:
- Make it more powerful:
I ended up picking up an ROG Ally about a year back because I needed something I could grab-and-go with, but also wanted to play some of the most recent AAA titles – something that just isn’t possible on the current gen Switch - Bring the games:
Speaking of games – let’s encourage devs to bring the latest and greatest to the table. I don’t want to be tied to my Xbox at home or tethered to a wall on the go (thanks ROG Ally battery life). I want to be able to carry those games on my Switch on the go - Include a decent amount of storage:
The original Switch only had 32GB of internal storage. Frankly, it wasn’t enough. If you installed one major title (hello Breath of the Wild) then you were likely already maxed out and now needing to use Micro SD cards to supplement the storage.
Time of course will tell what Nintendo decide is important to them – but I have hope they’ve heard the amount of gamers calling out for all of the above (and more). We’ll be left guessing for a few more months though – Nintendo have announced a Nintendo Switch 2 Direct for April 2nd 2025.
What would you like to see in the Nintendo Switch 2? Post your thoughts below!
