The long-awaited Nintendo Switch sequel is here, and it’s bigger and bolder in its new black color scheme. The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t arriving in your mailbox for at least the next few months, and while we have a better idea what it looks like, we still have to rely on leaks and rumors for its specs and potential game library.
The Switch 2 now includes a larger 8-inch screen and similarly resized JoyCons. The console itself has an additional USB-C port plus extra speakers and air vents to take it more in line with today’s handheld PCs like the Steam Deck. The console had already been leaked to hell and back thanks to third-party case makers, but now Nintendo showed us how its rail-less JoyCons will connect.
The new JoyCons are more rounded and slot into the console with a dedicated port and magnetic sides. Each controller has a regular cover that can be used separately, or you can attach it to an extra peripheral to use it as a more traditional controller. The joysticks have a redesigned look with colored bezels that may point to the end of the original JoyCon’s infamous stick drift.
The only peripherals confirmed so far are the Dock and the controller attachments. We don’t have official word on the dock’s ports, but leaks from Reddit claim it will include two USB-A connections, one HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a single USB-C connector for power.
The sequel console works much like the old one, using the hybrid cartridge and online download system that served the first Switch well. The Switch 2 should be compatible with most cartridges from the first Switch. However, as Nintendo spelled out in its reveal trailer, some games won’t work. Some games “may not be supported on or fully compatible” with the sequel Switch. Nintendo promised it would post more details on its website “at a later date.”
Nintendo plans to host a Nintendo Direct on April 2. This event will provide more information about the console’s games and, perhaps, offer more details on specs and performance. Until then, we must rely on old rumors and leaks to better understand what’s in store.
When Can I Preorder the Nintendo Switch 2?
There isn’t a precise release date, though you may only need to wait a few months. Nintendo said it plans to host a Nintendo Direct on April 2. A Best Buy landing page for the upcoming console already exists, which indicates that preorders could start right after the company’s next Direct online press conference.
There will be further opportunities to try a console sooner than that. Nintendo is hosting several early hands-on events in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In the U.S., the company will host events in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Texas.
The New York event will take place April 4 through 6. Los Angeles will start on April 11, while you’ll have to wait for April 25 in Dallas. There’s another hands-on event in Toronto on April 25. These events are free, and you only need a Nintendo Direct account, though you’ll need to be lucky enough to be one of the randomly drawn names who gets to use Nintendo’s new console. Event sign-ups start Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. PT, 3 p.m. ET.
As to whether there will be enough Nintendo Switch consoles at launch, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stressed in an investor Q&A that customers should be able to find a Switch 2 at retail without going through scalpers. Supply chain analyst Robin Zhu told Bloomberg that Nintendo’s supply chain network could allow it to sell 20 million Switch 2 units in its first year, 5 million more than the original Switch.
However, that doesn’t mean the Switch 2 will be as cheap as its predecessor. Noted tipster Zippo has claimed it could cost around $400, which is $100 more than you can get the first Switch for. It’s still less than the two most significant, expensive consoles, but it would now cost more than an Xbox Series S. Instead, it would cost as much as a baseline LCD Steam Deck.
Will the Switch 2 Be More Powerful Than the First Switch?
All the current speculation points to the Switch 2 getting access to its special chip from Nvidia. It’s a rumor going back nearly three years to early leakers hinting that Nintendo would get access to a custom variant of the T234, scaled down drastically to fit inside a mobile design. The current Switch uses a modified Tegra X1 chip, but the next Switch could be far more capable than Nintendo’s first handheld console. Documents shown publicly from the Microsoft buyout of Activision Blizzard hint that Nintendo’s console could be as powerful, if not a bit more capable, than the last console generation—namely the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
At the beginning of 2025, leakers showed off the console’s supposed motherboard, including an unknown Nvidia chip. In addition, patents indicate Nintendo may provide AI upscaling that could help support games at 4K when docked.
Reuters then dumped a lot of fuel onto those rumors by citing one anonymous source who claimed that Nintendo was indeed getting a new, custom chip. Late last year, Digital Foundry performed a deep dive into the supposed chip architecture and capabilities of this custom Nvidia chipset dubbed the T239. They performed benchmarks with similar architecture on the RTX 2050 running at 750 Mhz. Still, it’s better not to look at chip rumors and make assumptions about the next console’s full capabilities.
Instead, we need to understand better what kind of display it will have. Some of the most concrete reports from industry analysts noted that the Nintendo Switch sequel will have an 8-inch LCD screen, a significant size bump from the regular 6.2-inch Switch LCD screen. However, a few fans are likely disappointed that the next console won’t maintain the Switch OLED’s beautiful 7-inch organic display.
The LCD screen likely reduces costs, which served the first Switch well when buyers had to consider spending upwards of $500 on a new Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. Still, other handheld consoles, like the Steam Deck OLED, will have an edge over Nintendo’s offerings.
What Games Will Be Available for the Switch 2?
Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal trailer showcased a level in Mario Kart that’s not currently available in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The gameplay also showed redesigned models for characters like Donkey Kong, which suggests that this is a new Mario Kart and will likely be a Switch 2 launch title.
Otherwise, we suspect the previously announced Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will come alongside the Switch 2, probably bridging the gap between the old and new handheld consoles. Considering its 2025 release date, the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A is highly likely to be cross-platform.
After that, we can only speculate based on past rumors and our hopes and dreams. Nintendo usually tries to engender support for new hardware with a new 3D Mario title. However, we don’t know if this will be a straight follow-up to the modern classic Super Mario: Odyssey or some new game altogether. We also expect Nintendo to re-release The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, for Switch 2. Both games were prone to framerate issues when there were too many effects on screen so that they would benefit from new, improved hardware.
This post was updated again 1/16/25 at 10:15 a.m. ET to include official details from Nintendo.
