There’s little doubt that the upcoming Switch 2 has garnered a massive amount of hype and excitement from Nintendo fans worldwide, and it builds on the popularity and legacy established by the original Switch, which made its debut all the way back in 2017. With that in mind, you might be one of many who are looking forward to getting their hands on the new system—here’s what you can expect with Nintendo’s new hybrid handheld console!
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Let’s start with the pricing—the Switch 2 arrives in the United Kingdom on 5th June (same as nearly everywhere else), with the console retailing for £395.99 for the base bundle, which pretty much just includes the Switch 2 itself. You can always opt for a slightly more expensive bundle that goes for £429.99, which also includes a copy of Mario Kart World. Of course, if you have games for the first-gen Nintendo Switch, you’ll be able to play them as well so long as you update the Switch 2 first.
In case you haven’t seen the trailers yet, Nintendo has redesigned the Switch 2’s controls—the new Joycon 2 comes with a magnetic attachment system, which is a bit more straightforward versus the sliding rail mechanism found in the original, and might be better for durability in the long run. The Switch 2’s controller also features larger SL and SR buttons along with the analog sticks, the latter of which unfortunately STILL DO NOT use Hall Effect technology, although the company claims that they have been redesigned to prevent drifting problems. The Joycons can also be used on their side on a table as mouse controls, although this implementation will be different per game.
The Switch 2 will also come with support for 3D sound which should ideally provide a more immersive listening experience, and there’s even a built-in microphone which allows for voice chats, which can be initiated using the “C” button on the console. For connectivity, the Switch 2 comes with two separate USB-C ports for charging, an interesting change but one that we’re not really complaining about nonetheless. Nintendo will also sell an external accessory that will serve as a dedicated webcam during gameplay.
The rear kickstand has also been changed to be wider this time around, although it does feature a more “open” design. Should you choose to play in docked mode, the Switch 2’s dock does support 4K output for TVs, and even has a built-in fan for cooler gaming sessions. Finally, the console’s internal storage has now been increased to 256GB (from 64GB on the OLED version), and users can increase this with micro SD express cards for faster data speeds.
Another key change that you’ll notice with the Switch 2 is its larger size, especially when compared to the original version. While the Switch and its 6.2-inch display (7 inches in the case of the OLED model) are smaller versus other handhelds such as the ROG Ally and Steam Deck, Nintendo has updated the Switch 2 with an 8-inch display, which brings it up to speed with newer rival systems. With that said though, the device will feature an LCD panel instead of an OLED display, which is kind of a bummer especially when you consider the overall image quality the one gets when viewing content on OLED screens.
Additionally, the Switch 2’s screen is now capable of displaying games at 120fps with an HDR mode, at a higher resolution of 1080p. This is a much-welcome upgrade over the original Switch’s display which wasn’t terrible per se, but in a market filled with impressive displays from devices like Samsung for example, the first-gen Switch always felt a bit lacking in the screen department.
