Get ready for the Nintendo Switch 2, the successor to the original console, promising to invigorate the gaming industry with modern features and capabilities.
Modern Hardware
This summer, Nintendo Switch 2— the successor to the original console that debuted in March 2017. This new model is more of an evolutionary step from the ideas presented in the first device. Nonetheless, it promises to be an impressive gadget that will delight fans for the next 8-10 years.
In this piece, we’ll explore why the forthcoming Nintendo Switch 2 may serve as a worthy successor to its popular predecessor.
Modern Hardware
Let’s clarify this right away: Nintendo has never been one to chase raw power in its consoles. Historically, the company's systems have always launched with fairly modest internal components, more than sufficient for both its internal studios and third-party partners.
The Switch 2 continues to follow this trend on one hand. However, times demand that it incorporates more powerful and modern hardware. Notably, former head of PlayStation's indie division, Shuhei Yoshida, has criticized Nintendo for adopting a path similar to Sony and Microsoft.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is equipped with a custom NVIDIA Tegra 239 chip based on the Ampere architecture (the era of RTX 30). Its GPU features 1536 CUDA cores, providing a significant boost in performance compared to the original Switch.
NVIDIA has claimed that the graphics capabilities of the Switch 2 are ten times more powerful than its predecessor, boasting support for ray tracing and DLSS 3 upscaling technology for enhanced image quality.
Additionally, the Nintendo Switch 2 will support resolutions up to 4K and frame rates of up to 120 FPS. There's also support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and HDR.
The screen on the Switch 2 is again an LCD, but this time with a diagonal size of 7.9 inches. It’s larger and brighter than the original Switch’s 6.2-inch screen, although it falls short of the OLED model in contrast and black depth.
Other Features Include:
- Built-in microphone with noise cancellation
- Rumored 12GB of RAM
- Updated Joy-Cons that now feature magnets and mouse functionality
- Two USB-C ports—one on the top, the other on the bottom
- 256GB of internal storage with a transfer speed of 2100 MB/s
- Support for microSD Express cards for memory expansion—older microSD cards will no longer suffice
- Webcam support—both third-party and proprietary
- Nintendo assures that the eShop will no longer lag, as it did on the first Switch.
Voice Chat
It’s been over 20 years since the launch of Xbox Live in 2002, but voice chat is only making its way to Nintendo's platform in 2025. The Switch 2 will feature a dedicated "C" button for voice communication.
Sound will be captured via a microphone located at the top of the console. Additionally, players can share images on the screen using the "C" button—functionality resembling that of PS4 and PS5 parties.
Moreover, during conversations, players can utilize a webcam, which can stream either the player's image, their surroundings, or just the face—this will be depicted in specific games as a cloud around the character.
Switch 2's voice chat will be subscription-based (after all, this is Nintendo!). Access to this feature will be granted only to subscribers of any tier of the Nintendo Switch Online service. However, until March 31, 2026, the chat will be free for everyone—a sort of beta test.
Game Sharing Feature
On the Nintendo Switch 2 (and Switch), a GameShare option will be available, allowing players to enjoy multiplayer games using a single copy. Both consoles must be nearby, and the game must support this feature.
The titles confirmed to support GameShare include:
- Super Mario 3D World
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
- Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.
Backward Compatibility
Another highly anticipated feature of the Switch 2 is backward compatibility with games from the original Switch. Some releases will receive free updates with minor improvements, while others will be offered as full paid ports.
Paid versions for the Switch 2 are confirmed for:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Tears of the Kingdom
These titles will feature enhanced rendering resolutions and increased frame rates of up to 60 FPS, along with HDR support.
Other titles set to receive updates include:
Kirby: And the Forgotten Land
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
The latter will have a version for the Switch 2 with mouse control, and the game will run up to 4K at 120 FPS (depending on the selected mode).
Nintendo has indicated that for running original Switch games, a hybrid emulation approach is being employed in the Switch 2—a combination of software emulation and hardware compatibility.
Nintendo has launched a dedicated webpage for the backward compatibility of Switch 2, revealing that the company has tested over 15,000 games—only one title, Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, will not work.
Other titles have been reported to function well or suffer minor issues during launch. Some of these games, such as Fortnite, will receive patches or dedicated versions for Switch 2.
Exclusives
Currently, Nintendo has announced four games aimed specifically at the Switch 2:
Mario Kart World, catching attention with its price of $80
3D platformer Donkey Kong Bananza
Racing title Kirby Air Riders
The Duskbloods from FromSoftware.
Mario Kart World is a new installment in the iconic racing series, surprisingly releasing 11 years after Mario Kart 8 for Wii U and 8 years after Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Switch.
In a radical shift, Mario Kart World will offer 24-player races in an open world—similar to Forza Horizon—promising dynamic weather and a day-night cycle.
As always, players can expect various characters from Nintendo’s gaming universes, a plethora of modes, including single-player Grand Prix races, and both local and online multiplayer options.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D platformer with action elements, rumored to be developed by the creators of Super Mario Odyssey. Set on Ingot Isle, the game follows Donkey Kong and a group of monkey miners searching for the valuable material, Banandium.
The game’s main feature will be destructible environments akin to Red Faction. The hero can break almost all surfaces (walls, floors, ceilings), creating paths, finding items, or crafting makeshift weapons (for instance, tearing up chunks of land to use as projectiles or a snowboard).
Kirby Air Riders is a sequel to Kirby Air Ride from 2003 on GameCube, helmed by Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Super Smash Bros. It remains a mystery why Nintendo is producing two racing titles for Switch 2.
Details regarding this arcade game are scarce. What’s known is that players will control Kirby or his multicolored variants, competing in races using airborne vehicles like Warpstars.
The Duskbloods will be an 8-player PvPvE action title from the creators of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. Hidetaka Miyazaki aims to explore a genre that gained popularity following the launch of Escape from Tarkov.
Rich Multiplatform Library
The powerful hardware of the Nintendo Switch 2 has opened the doors for numerous games from third-party developers that were previously only available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Currently, 46 titles have been confirmed, with some available at the console's launch and others arriving later.
Simultaneously with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, players can expect to access titles such as:
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
- Sid Meier's Civilization 7
- Fortnite, among many others.
Third-Party Games Available at Launch:
- Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
- Bravely Default Flying Fairy: HD Remaster
- Civilization VII
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
- Deltarune
- Fast Fusion
- Fortnite
- Hitman: World of Assassination: Signature Edition
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Split Fiction
- Street Fighter 6
- Survival Kids
- Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut.
Third-Party Games After Switch 2 Release:
- Borderlands 4
- Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
- EA Sports FC
- EA Sports Madden NFL
- Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition
- Enter the Gungeon 2
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
- Goodnight Universe
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Human Fall Flat 2
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion
- NBA 2K
- No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files
- Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
- Project 007
- Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
- Reanimal
- Shadow Labyrinth
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
- Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
- Tamagotchi Plaza
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
- Two Point Museum
- WWE 2K
- Wild Hearts S
- Witchbrook.
Stagnation of PlayStation and Xbox
The current generation of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S launched nearly five years ago, yet it feels like it hasn’t truly started. The lingering effects of COVID-19, coupled with the costly and lengthy development of AAA games, have been at play here.
Just consider how Microsoft’s gaming division has struggled to find its niche. Initially focusing on exclusives and Game Pass, they’ve now recognized their defeat and are effectively functioning as a multiplatform publisher.
Sony is also in a rut. There hasn’t been a truly remarkable and iconic AAA game from its internal studios, a failed push for service-based games, and an inordinate number of remasters of games that were released quite recently, alongside a rather odd PS5 Pro version.
Here’s where the Switch 2 comes into play. Yes, it’s already an established concept for a hybrid device. However, that’s precisely what is needed. More powerful hardware? Check! Improved Joy-Cons that don’t disconnect? Absolutely! And let’s not forget the exclusives.
Nintendo continues to walk its own path while occasionally glancing at the western industry. There’s a sense that with a clear focus, the Switch 2 will revitalize the gaming market and reignite the joy of a once-beloved hobby.
The only concern is the pricing of the Switch 2 and its games—an alarming trend of excessiveness from Nintendo. Judging by recent practices, the Japanese company seems prepared to charge an arm and a leg for anything they offer.
The Switch 2 will be available worldwide on June 5. In some regions, pre-orders for the device have already started, with prices starting at $600. Deliveries are expected by the end of June.
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