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The Nintendo Switch 2 (known as Ounce in development) is a ninth generation video game console released by Nintendo, and the successor to the Nintendo Switch. It was announced by Shuntaro Furukawa on May 7, 2024. Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 on January 16, 2025, followed by its full specifications and release date on April 2, 2025. It was released in most territories on June 5, 2025.[1]
Features[]
Controllers[]
The controllers, Joy-Con 2 Controller, have magnetics that lets players attach and detach them horizontally. They also have larger buttons and control sticks, as well as a "C" button. The "SL" and "SR" buttons have magnetics, and are fully exposed when using the Wrist Straps.
One of the Joy-Con 2's major new features is its "mouse" function that's compatible with exclusive games, and "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" games. Much like a regular mouse, it has embedded sensors and light detection to detect where it is pointing, and can be used as a new gyro option. Some games allow, and even require, two Joy-Con 2s for mouse controls. They apparently work on certain legwear.[2]
The Joy-Con 2 controllers also have an upgraded haptic feature, HD Rumble 2, which allows for wider, quicker haptic feedbacks than on the Switch Joy-Cons.[3]
The Switch 2's Pro Controller consists of a headphone jack, the "C" button", and "GL"/"GR" grip buttons for assigning button controls.
Due to the new larger size of the Joy-Cons, the Switch 2's controllers are incompatible with most Switch 1's devices such as Nintendo Labo.
Resolution & performance[]
Compared to the original Switch's 6.2" screen, the Switch 2's LED screen is 7.9" and displays 1080p resolution at 120fps maximum with HDR support. For TV mode, the system displays 4K resolution at 60fps maximum with HDR support.
Audio[]
Undocked, the Switch 2's speakers are reportedly improved and more clear. When using headphones, there is also a 3D audio feature for select games.
Microphone[]
A returning feature from the Nintendo DS and Wii U, the system has a built-in microphone and can be used for chat, even in docked mode. The player's voice is also unaffected by environmental noises, making it more convenient for chatting.
Improved kickstand[]
Similar to the Nintendo Switch OLED, a more stable (height-adjustable) kickstand is built-in the console, which is roughly of a "U" shape. The new kickstand has 150 degrees of adjustability. It can also be used as a handle.
Backward compatibility[]
The Switch 2 is backwards compatible with almost all Nintendo Switch games which include enhancements such as improved resolution and frame rate via free updates.
Select Nintendo Switch games can also use some of Switch 2's features, like GameChat and mouse controls. Switch 2 Joy-Cons can be used for Switch games, but some games, such as Ring Fit Adventure and WarioWare: Move It!, require original Joy-Cons.
Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games[]
There is also a line of "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" games, which are enhanced versions of Nintendo Switch games with upgrades only accessible on the Nintendo Switch 2. These can include performance upgrades up to resolution upgrades to 4K resolution, increasing performance up to 120 fps, enhanced visuals and modes that take advantage of Nintendo Switch 2 features such as CameraPlay and Joy-Con 2 Mouse Control. The Nintendo Switch 2 Editions can be access as a special DLC called an Upgrade Pack. Select titles have these updates for free though absent the hardware-exclusive features. Game Cards with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition can be freely used with the Nintendo Switch as the original game.
Storage & MicroSD Express[]
The initial storage for the system is 256GB, excluding the space used for the system's UI. The Switch 2 is compatible with MicroSD Express cards (up to 2TB), but not the traditional ones used for the original Switch.
Nintendo Switch Online[]
The system will also support Nintendo Switch Online where most of its services will be included with exclusive features including GameChat, rewind and revamping features for the Nintendo 64 app, and the Nintendo GameCube app. Expansion Pack members can be able to access select Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games for free.
GameChat[]
GameChat UI with live recording.
GameChat is a Switch 2-exclusive feature which is similar to applications like FaceTime and Zoom, where players can create a room and chat. By pressing the "C" button, the chat room would open. Gameplay footages of group members would also be displayed on-screen with the "Screen Sharing" feature. Players can speak through the built-in microphone, which can also be turned off. It is also compatible with the Switch 2 Camera and any other USB-C cameras, where players would be recorded on-screen in the chat room. In the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, parents can adjust settings and restrictions for GameChat as well.
Rumors[]
A device with improved hardware compared to the Nintendo Switch, commonly referred to as the Switch Pro, was rumored for several years, starting in 2020. However, an actual successor had few strong rumors until 2023 with a rumor that at Gamescom 2023, Nintendo showed off a tech demo of the successor behind closed doors. The rumored demo included an enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with noticeably improved load times and a version of the Unreal Engine 5 demo of Matrix Awakens with visuals comparable to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. The demo was reported using Nvidia's DLSS upscaling technology to achieve those levels of visuals. A rumor in Bloomberg came out in January 2024 saying the device would have a massive 8-inch LCD screen much larger than the 7-inch screen of the Switch OLED.[4]
Incidents[]
On June 18, 2025, it was reported that about 2,810 Nintendo Switch 2 consoles were seemingly stolen during a mass heist on a cargo truck somewhere in Arapahoe County, Colorado. The incident took place ten days prior to being viewed in news. The semi-truck that was carrying the supplies involving Switch 2 consoles and products was en route from Redmond, Washington to a GameStop in Grapevine, Texas. The trucker reported that the trailer was broken into during an inspection process.[5]
Reception[]
The system received praise for its social and technical improvements over its predecessor, though the increased prices of the console and its games library were criticized.
Sales[]
Nintendo reported on June 10, 2025, four days from release, that the Switch 2 had sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide, which made it the company's fastest selling console to date, while market research firm Niko Partners claimed this made it the fastest-selling console of all time. Famitsu reported that the console had sold 947,931 units in Japan within the first four days of its release, surpassing the Switch's launch of 329,152 units sold in the region. IGN said that launch sales of the Switch 2 in these first four days were twice as much as the launch sales of the Switch in all regions, and also claimed that the Nintendo Switch 2 was the fastest-Selling Gaming Hardware in U.S. History. By June 30, 2025, the end of Nintendo's first fiscal quarter for 2026, the console had sold over 5.8 million units worldwide, with sales exceeding 6 million through the end of July. Over 8.6 million games had been sold, with Mario Kart World selling more than 5.6 million, including copies sold as part of Switch 2 bundles.
Gallery[]
| Main article: Nintendo Switch 2/gallery |
Trivia[]
- The first Nintendo console to have the following features:
- 4K resolution (TV mode)
- HDR support
- 120 frames-per-second
- Internal mouse abilities
- Video chatting app (GameChat)
- Download Play in a home console (labeled as GameShare)
- Magnetics
- MicroSD Express use
- VRR (handheld mode only)
- Use a number at the end of its name.
- On Nintendo of America's YouTube, the reveal trailer has gained more than 18 million views within two days, making it one of its fastest-growing videos.
- The Switch 2's announcement was released the same day as Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.
- At the time of the Switch 2's announcement, the Switch sold 146 million consoles, third only behind the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2.
- This is Nintendo's only new console to release during the 2020's decade.
- The magnetic attachment design was originally planned for the original Nintendo Switch.
- This marks the second game system to have the number 2 at the end of its logo, since Sony's PlayStation 2.
References[]
- ↑ Successor to Switch announced
- ↑ Nintendo promises that Switch 2’s mouse feature works on your pants (Nintendo Everything) Date: April 3, 2025.
- ↑ Nintendo Switch 2 getting HD Rumble 2 (Nintendo Everything) Date: April 2, 2025.
- ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-26/switch-2-nintendo-s-next-gen-console-to-have-8-inch-lcd-screen-omdia-says
- ↑ "Thousands of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles stolen in $1.4M cargo heist". FOX News. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
External links[]
- Nintendo Switch 2 at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Website