The seven-year wait has finally come to an end. Nintendo officially unveiled its next consoleSwitch 2. Now that the reveal has actually happened, after months of speculationwe can all move on to something else, right? Not so fast. The short introductory video raised more questions than answers. There's a lot we don't know about Nintendo's upcoming hybrid console, so let's dive into it.
When will it be released?
We don't know! Nintendo has a Direct scheduled for April 2, during which we'll likely get this information. It will be sometime after that, but within 2025. It's possible they'll do a quick refurbishment and have it ready for sale by the end of April, but a summer release is much more likely. It's also possible the company will wait until after the lucrative holiday season. However, people will be able to play it in the near future as Nintendo holding face-to-face events around the world from April to June.
What are the internal characteristics?
This is another mystery. The introductory video simply showed off the look of the console along with the updated controllers. There was no mention of internal specifications. Of course, there are a lot of rumors about the power of Nintendo's next console, but nothing concrete. Some analysts predict the console will include an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, although others say he will feed from SoC Tegra239 manufactured by NVIDIA (system on a chip). Most people seem to agree that the system will include some version of NVIDIA's DLSS “deep learning supersampling” upscaling technology.
What about the screen?
We saw the screen in action, likely running some version of the upcoming Mario Kart game. The video gave us some idea of the size of the display as it looks something like this. 30 percent more than current model. This is in line with rumors pointing to an 8-inch screen. However, we don't know the type of display that comes with the console. There are different rumors here. Some analysts predict Mini LED Screenwhile others expect a traditional LCD display. It probably won't be OLED, as the company will likely save it for a future update.
What is the battery life?
There are not even any reliable rumors on this score, but last year there were some speculations regarding the company's adoption performance mode function with the Switch 2. Nintendo likes to find a sweet spot in the mass market, so I'd be very surprised if the battery life didn't match OLED switching from 4.5 to nine hours gaming time per charge. The console will, of course, be more powerful than the OG Switch, but it will also be larger. This extra room can accommodate a powerful battery.
How much will it cost?
This is another unknown. Nintendo will likely reveal pricing information on April 2nd. The original Switch launched at $300, as did the Wii U. However, inflation is real and supply chains are fragile. There were rumors that the price could shoot up to $400or even higher. Nintendo tends to raise prices on base-level consoles every couple of generations. The GameCube was originally priced at $200 and the Wii at $250.
Do the controllers have optical sensors?
There have been long-standing rumors that Switch 2 will include mouse-like functionality via optical sensors on the Joy-Cons. We don't have definitive confirmation on this, but the introductory video seems to imply it. Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a segment in which Pixar-like controllers were moved around a table like two computer mice. If this is true, Nintendo will likely develop some wacky software that combines mouse and controller controls. Either way, this addon will definitely create things like Civilization VI easier to play. This could also hint at something new. Mario Paint.
What is that unmarked button on the right?
Viewers also likely noticed a new button on the bottom of the right Joy-Con. It was previously rumored to be the “C” button, but it's not marked in the introductory video. We don't know what it does, so your guess is as good as ours. Perhaps it's calibrating controllers or starting voice chat. We'll probably find out on April 2.
What's the deal with backwards compatibility?
Yes, Switch 2 is backwards compatible with original Switch games. This is fantastic news, but the introductory video notes that “some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” We don't know exactly what this means or how many games it will affect. It's a fair bet that this applies to some of the wackier stuff from the previous generation, e.g. Nintendo Labo or Mario Kart: Home Track.
Will there be a problem with stick skidding?
We'll have to wait and see on this one, but the demo video took a while to show the joystick doing cute little full circles. Previous leaks have shown that Nintendo has learned its lesson regarding the joystick and the new console. will include hall effect joysticks. We really hope so.
What will the user interface be like?
The Switch's user interface is, for better or worse, extremely minimal and simple. This extends to the online shopping experience. We don't know if the Switch 2 will include any Nintendo-level oddities when it comes to the user interface. I hope he gets it back the long-forgotten social network Miiverse. It was stupid and fun. Modern social media apps are a lot of things, but I wouldn't definitely call them stupid or funny.
Will there be any weirdness coming from Nintendo?
From the headache-inducing 3DS to the equally headache-inducing Virtual Boy, Nintendo has always marched to the beat of its own drum. However, Switch 2 seems to be an extremely conservative release for the company. This is a more powerful and slightly larger switch.
Will there be some Nintendo weirdness that saved the company in the Wii era and nearly destroyed it in the Wii U era? We don't know yet. It's possible that the aforementioned optical sensors or the “C” button could lead to wild and wacky gameplay. It's also possible that there are functions that haven't been declared yet. We're talking about Nintendo.
What games are running?
This is completely unknown, although fans hoping for a new Mario Kart were probably shocked by this revealing video. It included a fair amount of footage from the all-new Mario Kart game, complete with updated character designs and the ability to host races for 24 people.