Nintendo Switch 2 is here, and for real this time. The long-awaited announcement confirms many of the design rumors that have been circulating over the past few months. Not only is the Switch 2 bigger than the previous console, but Nintendo confirms that you’ll be able to play the original Switch games – or at least most of them. And yes, it’s simply called Switch 2, and it is – in every way – a continuation of the original Switch.
Nintendo showed off the Switch 2 console in a new trailer released on Thursday. It’s bigger, with an 8-inch screen and an updated black-on-black color scheme with blue and red accents around the joysticks. The joysticks now sit on a rounded, beveled edge that looks quite stylish in Nintendo’s close-up images.
You can try it out sooner or later if you’re lucky enough to beat the bots and scalpers. The company will hold a “series of hands-on events around the world” that will allow you to get your hands on the device. Nintendo will choose among “randomly selected” participants. All you need to do is have a Nintendo account, although for the U.S., the events will be held in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Texas. Ticket sales are available only on Nintendo’s website, and registration will begin on January 17 at 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT.
Nintendo showed off the console with a new U-shaped rear stand that can bend up to 140 degrees or more. Plus a brand new Switch Dock with rounded corners. A USB-C port has been added to the top of the console, while the bottom still uses the proprietary Nintendo connector when connected to the dock. There are additional cutouts for vents and speakers, which were not present in the original Switch model. When the dock is secured, the screen protrudes from the top much more than the current Switch Dock. The video doesn’t give an idea of what ports it has, although we can safely assume it will have at least one HDMI connector.
The updated, retractable JoyCon controllers now have a colored interior – red or blue – with all-new attachment points and covers that can be used as their own two-handed controllers. There is a small port between the typical SR and SL buttons and the pairing button that can connect to the new covers and to the console itself, although it may have another purpose that we don’t know.
Unlike the original Switch rail system, these JoyCons are attached to the display with magnets. On the back of the Switch 2, under the shoulder buttons, there are two buttons that detach each JoyCon individually. As with the original Switch, there is a peripheral to use the JoyCons as a single controller. Hopefully, Nintendo has upgraded the sticks to the Hall Effect to avoid the routine stick drift issues that plagued the original console.
The trailer doesn’t show any of the games that will be available for the upcoming console, although Nintendo did show a level in a Mario Kart game that may hint at a new upcoming game rather than another re-release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo was also unable to give any hint about the specs or features of its new handheld console. Instead, we still have to rely on leaks, rumors, and speculation.
In addition, Nintendo has said that the Switch will be backwards compatible, although – as we expected – only to a certain extent. You’ll be able to play games and cartridges you’ve downloaded on the Switch 2. However, Nintendo has made it clear that “some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on Nintendo Switch 2 or may not be fully compatible with it.” The Japanese game manufacturer promised to share more detailed information on its website “later”.
Nintendo will hold a Nintendo Direct on April 2. That’s a lot of time until then, and even more time to speculate about what else might be coming. At the beginning of the video, the company placed the “2025” logo on the screen, which means that the console should appear at least this year. Sites such as Best Buy already have a page dedicated to the Switch 2, hinting that pre-orders could begin shortly after Nintendo’s April livestream.
