Nintendo Switch 2 Is Here: 13 Things You Need to Know

Nintendo has finally unveiled a successor to the original Nintendo Switch – the Switch 2. Continuing the legacy of its predecessor, the new console offers redesigned joycons and faster processing power. The Switch 2 brings DLSS/FSR and a new C button to access the Compute social hub. Here is everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2.

Table of Contents

1. New Design and Bigger Display

The Nintendo Switch 2 brings a bigger 7.9-inch display and redesigned Joycons. Not only is this an upgrade over the 6.2-inch panel on the original Switch, but you also get a crisper output, thanks to the new 1080p resolution. The 120Hz display should offer a smoother experience with select titles. We noticed the bezels are also noticeably slimmer than the original Switch.

The dock has a built-in fan for enhanced thermal cooling. The new Switch 2 is slimmer, lighter, and features two USB-C ports for charging. What is the point of those two type-C ports? You can also add accessories like external displays and smart glasses to take your experience to the next level. Other niceities include a kickstand for propping up the console and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Nintendo Switch 2 also retains the cartridge slot for those physical games. You can even play with the Joyside upside down since it has automatic display rotation.

2. New Joy-Con 2 With Mouse Controls

The new Joycon 2 controllers attach magnetically and offer SR/SL buttons. The joysticks are bigger, and you get mouse controls with Joycon on both controls. Joycons 2 have built-in microphones with noise cancellation. You can use the Joycons as a mouse for navigating through the user interface. This works similarly to the Lenovo Legion S and the Switch 2.

3. Launch Titles

What good is a new Nintendo Switch without new games to play on it? The Nintendo Switch 2 brings an interesting mix of new as well as remastered titles to take advantage of the new hardware.

Here are all the games confirmed to launch on Nintendo Switch 2:

Mario Kart World
Jamboree TV
Super Mario Party Jamboree Edition
Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
Kirby: The Forgotten Island (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
Drag n Drive
Hades II
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Street Fighter 6
Daemon x Machina
Split Fiction
EA Sports FC
EA Madden NFL
Hogwarts Legacy
Tony Hawks Proskater 3+4
Hitman: World Of Assassination Signature Edition
Project 007
Bravely Default
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Deltarume Chapters
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
Borderlands 4
WWE 2K
NBA 2K
Cyberpunk 2077
Survival 2024
Final Fantasy XVII
Kunitsu Gami: Path of the Goddess
Hollow KnightLSlk Song
Stry of Seasojns: Grand Bazaar
Goodnight Universe
Two-Point Museum
Wild Heart S
Witchbrook
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Star Wars Outlaws
Nobunaga Amibition: Awakening Complete Edition
Fast Fusion
Shadow Labyrinth
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
No Sleep for Kaname Date from AI: The Somnium Files
Reanimal
Fortnite
Arcade Archive 2 Ridge Racer
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
Tamagotchi Plaza
Human Fall Flat 2
The Duskbloods
Kirby AirRiders
Donkey Kong Bananza

4. No OLED Panel

Sadly, the Nintendo Switch 2 sticks to an LCD panel instead of OLED like the Switch OLED. Nintendo is likely to introduce an OLED version of the Switch 2 in the future with an increased price to drive sales (and profits). This does put it at a disadvantage compared to the Steam Deck OLED. So you won’t be able to enjoy those deep blacks and amazing contrast anytime soon. The good news is that the LCD panel on the Nintendo Switch 2 supports HDR and has a 120Hz refresh rate. This is a huge leap over the 60Hz LCD on the original Switch.

5. Backwards Compatibility

The Nintendo Switch 2 is backward compatible with all the Nintendo Switch cartridges and digital games. Furthermore, upcoming Switch games will also be compatible with the original Switch. Titles like Metro Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A have been confirmed to work on the original console. So, if you are planning to upgrade to the Switch 2, you won’t have to worry about losing your extensive library of games. However, all of them may not be completely compatible with Switch 2. There will also be Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games that are upgraded versions of games on the original Switch.

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6. Press C for Gamechat

Nintendo Switch 2 also adds a new C button that sits on the right joycon. It opens up a new social hub called Gamechat. You can play together with your friends by pressing the C-button on the right Joycon. By using the microphone in the joystick, it can pick up your phone even when it’s noisy around you. You can use the feature in both handheld and docked modes.

The Gamechat feature lets you play and watch your friends’ stream in split-screen view. It works when you are playing different games. You can adjust the size of your game screen or expand the view of your friend’s screen. Furthermore, you can make video calls with the Nintendo Switch 2 camera on your system. This Switch camera will be available on the same day as the Switch 2, and you need a Nintendo Online membership to access it.

7. Gameshare

Gameshare lets you share your local game with three other Nintendo Switch 1 and Switch 2. Your friends can play the game even if they don’t have it installed. It will be available for select titles. The feature supports up to 3 consoles at the same time.

8. Better Performance and DLSS/FSR Support

The Nintendo Switch 2 uses a custom-made Nvidia T239 chipset that should deliver better performance than the original Switch. It uses an ARM Cortex A78C with eight cores and an Nvidia T239 GPU. This is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. This is a major next-generation leap over the 4GB RAM and 32GB storage of the original Switch.

Thanks to the upgraded hardware, you get support for upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR. While the Switch 2 does have 48 Gen 3 Tensor cores and 2 ray tracing cores, don’t expect it to run Cyberpunk’s Psycho ray tracing. Although you don’t DLSS 4 Frame Generation, you can still enjoy a crisper output while maintaining those smoother frames.

This could help output 4K resolution when in the docked mode. The Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards. While the GameCards have the same shape as the original Switch 2, they have higher speeds. This means that original Switch cards won’t work and you will need to use system transfer for transferring your progress.

9. 4K Output

The Nintendo Switch 2 supports 4K gaming at 60 FPS. It only works in docked mode, and this is great news for gamers hoping to play on a bigger screen. As 4K TVs become more and more affordable, many gamers now aspire to hook their console to a TV for an immersive experience. Since the Switch 2 supports DLSS, this is more likely to be upscaled output rather than native but it’s still great, nonetheless.

10. Release Date, Price, and Pre-Order Benefits

The Nintendo Switch 2 costs $499 and launches on June 5, 2025. However, the upgraded hardware and software features justify the expensive price. Be quick if you are interested in grabbing one for yourself. Retailers expect the handheld to go out of stock on day one, ie, April 9, 2025. Moreover, those pre-ordering will receive an exclusive collectible coin. The Nintendo Switch 2 will go on sale in June 2025, and if the sales figures of the original Switch are to be believed, there’s no doubt that the Switch 2 will be a success. There will also be a Mario Kart bundle at launch.

11. On-Device Voice Chat for Online Games

Speaking of chat, you get Campus, a new chat/community where you can talk to other players and the community. This is a social hub for interacting with others with text, voice, and even screen sharing. It supports up to 12 Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

12. Virtual Game Cards

There are also virtual Game cards where you can eject and load games between two Nintendo Switches with the same account. You can also lend accounts to remember on the same Nintendo account family group. You can lend these games wirelessly or online for 14 days. It’s the perfect way to build a community around the console.

13. New Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller

The Nintendo Switch 2 Controller adds the new C- controller, microphones, and an audio jack. You also get a GR/GL button on the back of the controller. As always, you will need to purchase the controller separately. There is also a Nintendo Switch GameCube controller with the same features.

And that’s it, folks.

Nintendo