Nintendo Switch 2: everything we know so far

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. Now that Nintendo has properly confirmed that it’s working on a new console, rumors have only gotten more frequent. We’ve even hit the point where we’re seeing more credible photos and spec leaks trickle out.

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. There’s enough room for improvement to warrant an entirely new console in the near future.

Looking at the Switch’s lifespan and the current gaming landscape, here’s what we think the Nintendo Switch 2 needs to bring to the table to be a worthwhile upgrade and compete with other platforms.

Switch 2 release date speculation

After years of rumors, Nintendo has finally confirmed the existence of its Switch successor and that we’ll learn more about it before the end of the company’s fiscal year in March 2025. While we’re nearing the end of 2024, Furukawa did restate in its latest forecasts that the plan to reveal the Switch successor by March 2025 is still in effect.

This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct…

— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) May 7, 2024

It’s unclear if the new console will launch soon after in spring 2025 or if it will simply be unveiled and released later. The latest leak from the GamesIndustry.Biz Podcast suggests that developers are being told the system will not be released this fiscal year. If true, that means the Switch 2 will not come out before April 2025. Tokyo Security analyst Hideki Yasuda released a report that could narrow that window down. He claims the Switch 2 will launch in the first half of 2025 between April and June.

Switch 2 rumors and news

Aside from the release date, a few other credible rumors about this new system are floating around. Take everything here with a grain of salt, of course, because Nintendo has yet to acknowledge that a new console is in the works. These may also contradict the features we want, but since they are still just rumors, our wish list can still be answered.

Backward compatibility

This is Furukawa. At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about…

— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) November 6, 2024

It was heavily suggested that the Switch 2 would be backward compatible, but Furukawa officially confirmed it during Nintendo’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing and with the above post on X in November 2024. Not only will Switch titles be playable on the Switch 2, but your Nintendo Switch Online account will carry over as well. More information is promised soon, and we don’t know if current Switch games will get any kind of performance or visual benefits on the Switch 2, but this is a major confirmation for the new console.

Design

A summary of today’s alleged Switch 2 images ‘leak’. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/Z4rfSGz4WQ

— Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) September 18, 2024

A massive Switch 2 leak appeared on the GamingLeaksAndRumors Reddit that featured images of what the Switch 2 prototype apparently looks like. It mostly appears identical to the current Switch model, but does show a noticeably larger screen and the previously leaked magnetic Joy-Con controllers. The only other notable change we can glean from these mock-ups is what looks like a much more sturdy kickstand. Note that while some users have debated the validity of the CAD renders of the systems, real photos of the console also leaked, which seem a bit more plausible.

Price

Coming from the same report by Hideki Yasuda mentioned earlier, it is claimed that the Switch 2 will cost $500 at launch.

Internal specs

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.

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.

Joy-Con improvements (and problems)

According to multiple reports, but originating from video game website Vandal, the Joy-Cons for the Switch 2 will connect magnetically instead of using a plastic rail system. While this is great news for anyone who has ever struggled to remove a Joy-Con from their Switch (it can be surprisingly difficult), it’s unclear if old Joy-Cons will be compatible with the Switch 2 with this swap. The existing Nintendo Switch Pro Controller will reportedly work with Switch 2.

Vandel found this information through sources at peripherals manufacturers.

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.”

Assassin’s Creed Shadows + ports

Editor in chief of Universo Intendo Nash Weedle, who has been a reliable leaker in the past, has stated that both the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows and ports of previous entries in the series are due to receive Switch 2 ports at or near the console’s launch.

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.

Improved Joy-Cons

Everyone loves the ability to move the Switch back and forth between docked and handheld modes. What’s better than doling out Joy-Cons to all your friends for a game of Mario Party Superstars or Mario Kart 8? The simplicity of the Switch’s controller design works — we’re not asking for anything complex — but their quality just isn’t up to industry standard. Joy-Cons feel cheap for how much they cost, aren’t the most ergonomic shape for comfortable long gaming sessions, and will inevitably suffer from drift issues. This is when a Joy-Con thumbstick will move without a player touching it, causing obvious gameplay problems.

Joy-Con drift is the big issue here because it has existed since the console’s launch and Nintendo really hasn’t done anything about it with newer models. The company has been repairing out-of-warranty Joy-Cons since 2019, but the process isn’t exactly smooth, and Switch owners shouldn’t have to send their very basic controllers off for problems with the design.

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.