Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, then gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021. There’s no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console — it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it’s still our favorite portable console — but it isn’t without its flaws. But there’s plenty of room for improvement in a follow-up console.
After what felt like years of leaks and rumors, Nintendo has finally unveiled the Switch 2 to the world. Here’s everything we know about the system so far, as well as what is still up in the air.
Switch 2 release date window
Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 on January 16, but is still being cagey about the release date. For now, all we know is that it will release after April 2025, which is when the next Direct is scheduled. Odds are that will be when we learn the true release date.
Switch 2 Backward compatibility
As part of the Switch 2 announcement, Nintendo confirmed that both physical and digital Switch games will be compatible with the Switch 2. However, there is one asterisk here in that not every game will be compatible. Nintendo hasn’t released that list of games yet, so there’s no telling how extensive it is.
Switch 2 Design
On the surface, the Switch 2 looks almost identical to the original Switch. It retains the same basic form factor and design but with a larger screen and Joy-con controllers. Otherwise, the only major design change is a more sturdy-looking kickstand for the screen when playing with the Joy-cons detached. Nintendo went with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality with the console.
The Joy-cons have the most new features hidden inside. First, they are now magnetically connected to the main screen so you no longer have to slide them in and out of position. What is most unique this time, though, is the ability to use a Joy-con similar to a mouse by placing it on its edge on a surface. This could open up a new world of possibilities for how we interact with games on a console.
Price speculation
We don’t know the price for the Switch 2 yet, but some reports are claiming the console will cost $500 at launch.
Internal specs rumors
According to Centro Leaks, a popular source for Pokemon-related rumors, the next-gen Switch will have 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
That same leak we got the supposed design images from corroborates those prior specs, but also provides many more details. Besides the 12GB of RAM (over the original’s 4GB) and 256GB of storage (the original had only 32GB), this leak outlined that the Switch 2 will come with an 8-inch display, HDMI 2.1 support, two USB-C ports, magnetic controller attachments, upgraded SL/SR buttons, dual cooling fans, a SoCL CPU + GPU model GMLX30-R-A1, MT62F768M64D4EK-026 (6GX2 dual channel, LPDDR5X, 7500 MT/s) memory, Ruiwu ALC5658-CG audio chip, built-in microphone, and Gigabit Ethernet chip.
Another leak from a Reddit post claims to show the motherboard of the Switch 2. If this is a real look at the internals, then we can see that it will be using an Nvidia chip, though we can’t tell specifically which one. We also see that there are two 6GB LPDDR5 modules, which would equate to 12GM of RAM and lines up with the prior leak above.
Finally, it reveals that there will be two USB-C ports on the bottom and no microSD card slot from what we can see.
It has also been discovered that Nintendo filed a patent in the summer of 2023 for what sounds like its own AI model for upscaling, similar to DLSS or PSSR. Laura Kate Dale reported that one example use case given is explicitly to reduce overall game sizes, to fit a modern game onto “smaller capacity physical media,” e.g. Switch carts, which get exponentially more expensive for larger cart capacities. They also state that this technology would be able to do a “4X upscale on the device in real time” up to 4K resolutions. This technology would be able to upscale a 540p image up to 1080p, or take a 720p image and bring it up to 4K. This would allow the Switch 2 to stay competitive with more powerful hardware while keeping its price down. While the patent is indeed real and is very likely what Nintendo has planned, we do need to consider it speculation because companies file many patents on technologies such as this that never amount to anything.
Laura Kate Dale came back with their own new photo of the Switch 2 Dock they claim to have gotten from a reliable source. The image shows just the back of a Switch 2 dock with some blurred information, but the important thing to note is that, assuming it is legitimate, the dock will ship with a 60W charger. This means it will not be compatible with the current charger. Sadly, this is the only leak Dale is going to give us for now.
The Verge dug up an FCC filing that showed some interesting features that should be very reliable. The biggest new addition that is sure to please those of us who play online is the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6. The filing shows Wi-Fi 6 support with up to 80MHz of bandwidth, which is a massaive leap above the original Switch but not the latest Wi-Fi 7.
NFC functionality for Amiibo scanning is also included and will be incorporated into the right Joy-Con, just like the original Switch.
Finally, charging can be done through either the top or botton USB-C ports.
Screen quality
In terms of tech, the biggest disappointment is regarding a Bloomberg report stating the Switch 2 will launch with an 8-inch LCD screen rather than OLED. In terms of power, the Verge reported during the Microsoft-Activision acquisition that Activision executives were informed about the potential power of a Switch 2 and compared it to being similar to the PS4 or Xbox One. While Digital Foundry does say we know that Nvidia’s T238 chipset will power it, it isn’t clear if it will be able to use DLSS 2 to potentially upscale graphics to 4K.
Wireless dock
One user on the Famiboards site who claims to have seen shipping manifests for the Switch 2 claims that “the main gimmick would be a wireless dock Stream/Switch which could explain the fans in it.” The footage we have so far didn’t showcase this feature, but Nintendo could be holding onto that reveal for later.
Features we want in a Switch 2
4K resolution and faster processing
While the Switch surely wasn’t built to compete with the Xbox Series X or PS5 in terms of raw horsepower, it can feel woefully underpowered running even Switch exclusives, let alone multi-platform titles. Trailers for upcoming Nintendo titles are often met with “that looks great … for the Switch,” and new launches don’t always run as smoothly as fans hoped. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were unusually buggy at launch, Sonic Frontiers couldn’t hit high frame rates on Switch, and games like Hogwarts Legacy and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum are coming to the Switch well after initial launch dates as those ports require extra work to fit them on the system. While the upcoming Legend of Zelda installment looks great, we can’t help but dream about how well it’d run on another console or PC.
Nintendo has certainly carved out its own piece of the gaming market for players who don’t need improved graphics or processing power (do we really need high-res Kirby or Pikachu?), but the Switch’s limitations certainly hold it back, and that issue is only going to get worse moving forward.
The current Switch can hit 720p to 1080p resolution and has a 60fps frame rate limit. We’d love to experience full 4K gaming on the Switch 2 and bump up that frame rate potential (so it can, at the very least, consistently hit 60fps). We aren’t going to get into the ins and outs of processing power and preferred chipsets here, but we definitely need more power from Nintendo going forward.
Make the OLED screen the new standard
The Nintendo Switch has always been full of bright, colorful gaming experiences compared to other consoles that focus on mature titles that tend to trend darker (visually and content-wise), and its successor will need a screen to reflect that content. When the Switch OLED model launched in 2021, the standard Switch’s LCD screen immediately looked washed out by comparison. OLED screens are steps ahead of their counterparts, boasting improved black levels, brightness levels, and color accuracy while using less power overall.
We’d be really disappointed if Nintendo walked back on such a great update and didn’t standardize the OLED screen on its next console, at the very least.
More built-in storage
Any longtime Switch owners have run into storage issues and have been forced to archive game data to make room for new games regularly. The standard Switch and Switch Lite come with 32 GB of internal storage, while the Switch OLED model bumps up storage to 64 GB. With new games becoming more demanding and needing more space with each passing year, the idea of fitting more than a handful of premium titles within 64 GB is laughable. And even some of that limited storage is reserved for use by the system!
Switch users can easily expand the storage on any of these consoles by purchasing a large microSDHC or microSDXC card up to 2TB, but those are sold separately and can cost as much as a new game if you go with a large one. This a weird cost to pass off to players when it’s going to be 100% necessary to maintain a decent digital library of games.
Nintendo should make the switch over to an internal solid-state drive when the Switch 2 comes out. An SSD would allow for greater internal storage and drastically improved load times compared to the Switch’s standard flash memory or external SD card data transfer times. Current games would perform better and faster, while developers would have a lot more to work with when developing new games. It’s a win for everyone.
Color customization options
Nintendo has released some spectacular special edition Switch models for games like Splatoon 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there aren’t a whole lot of customization options outside of buying an entirely new console or a separate set of Joy-Cons that you might not need. There are several color schemes available for the Switch Lite and a few different color first-party Joy-Con colors, but outside of that, there are a lot of third-party accessories that might not meet Nintendo standards.
Obviously, there needs to be a color scheme for the base model, but wouldn’t it be cool if you could order a Switch 2 online and pick your own styles for the console, dock, and Joy-Cons? That level of personalization could make a Switch successor feel a bit more special, giving players a good reason to upgrade. It’d be great to see that energy extended to its UI as well, bringing back the Nintendo 3DS’ themes and adding new ways to customize the current Switch’s barebones menu screen.
And please, Nintendo, bring back translucent controllers.
