The Nintendo Direct, which many of us had awaited, showcased the Nintendo Switch 2 and several games, but also left some things unannounced that happened today. Some things were already known, such as the Joy-Cons connecting magnetically, and some were a surprise, such as the storage size. Now that Nintendo officially announced the system, let’s check out what they discussed and didn’t discuss what we learned about the Nintendo Switch 2 from today:
- Bigger LCD 1080p screen at 7.9″ vs. the Switch’s 6.2″ screen
- Same thickness at 13.9mm
- Up to 120 fps on compatible games.
- HDR is supported on available compatible games
- Bigger SL/SR Buttons and thumbsticks – a bigger Switch is going to mean some bigger buttons compared to the original.
- Each Joy-Con can be used as a mouse for innovative ways to play in compatible games
- Improved speakers and clearer audio in both handheld mode and tabletop modes.
- Built-in mic for easy voice chatting and the C button. Ever since we saw a closer look at the right Joy-Con, there were some questions about what the C button was for, and now we know that this button will be used for in-game chat. There is a built-in microphone with noise-cancelling technology on the top right of the Switch 2. This also means that 3D sound should be much improved.
- Improved docking stand – Improved stand means you can move it freely to how you like to play.
- Two USB-C Ports – There will be one at the bottom for when you need to charge it, when you have docked, for different accessories (such as the Nintendo Switch 2 camera), or charging in desktop mode.
- More storage – 256 GB (8x more) vs. the 32 GB that the Switch 1 came out with. This also means that reading and writing data will be faster. You will also be able to expand the storage with microSD Express cards. The microSD cards from the Nintendo Switch 1 will not work.
- Improved Dock – Not only has the Switch 2 become bigger, but so has its docking station. Not only will the Switch 2 be capable of 4K and HDR, with compatible games, but the docking station now has a built-in fan to help keep your game time as cool as can be and performance stable.
- Play Nintendo Switch 2 games and compatible Nintendo Switch games (physical and digital).
- The release date will be June 5, 2025, with pre-orders going live in the UK on April 8 and in NA on April 9, 2025.
- Nintendo Switch 2 games will have a red casing.
What wasn’t discussed was the internal specs of the system itself, nor the price at the time of the Direct, but was finally announced after the Direct ended, and on Nintendo’s own site.
- The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 will be $449; the newly announced Mario Kart World Digital bundle will cost $499.
Don’t get me wrong, everything that was presented, well, almost everything (which we will get into later), was pretty good. But when you look at the features and with some of those features relying on the capable games, and be willing to be the games you want to play, do you think it’s worth it given the price is $150-$200.00 more than the original Nintendo Switch and not knowing all of the specs? May Nintendo blow us all away with more upcoming Nintendo Directs before and after the official launch on June 5, 2025.
Enjoy the trailer. Until our next journey through the time tunnel, happy gaming, and remember to game through time.
