Nintendo Switch 2 Revealed: The Improvements, Rumors, and Questions We Still Have

Following months of rumors and leaks that unveiled a whole lot about the console before the company could make an official announcement, Nintendo has finally confirmed what the Switch 2 looks like and even teased some of its key features and improvements as well as at least one of its games.

The timing of the announcement itself, which arrived in the form of a snappy 2-minute trailer, had leaked earlier this week as well, but the video turned out to be more of a teaser for a bigger Nintendo Direct broadcast that is poised to fully show off everything the new console has to offer on April 2, 2025. The console is slated to release later this year. Check out the video below.

The Switch 2 will of course keep the same form factor as its predecessor as well as its hybrid functionality, which means you’ll still be able to use the console as both a handheld device as well as docked to your TV. The video also confirms that at least a few of the rumors and leaks that have hit the internet in the past few months are in fact true, down to the “2” added to the Switch logo. Let’s quickly break a few key things down about Nintendo’s next console…

Confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 Details and Improvements

– First up, the obvious: the larger display. While the exact dimensions of the screen weren’t revealed in the video, there have been reports (via IGN) that we’re looking at an 8-inch display, up from the 6.2-inch on the original Switch model and the 7-inch on the current OLED model. Rumors have also persisted that the Switch 2 will release with an LCD screen, not the more vibrant OLED panel that some gamers would have hoped for. Of course, with specs and performance currently unconfirmed, it’s likely we’ve not learned all there is to know about the Switch 2’s display.

– Next, the new Joy-Cons, also larger, which should help make playing in handheld mode a little more comfortable. There are two other updates to note: 1) gone are the annoying rail connections, replaced by a seemingly magnetic snap-on connection that looks so much easier to use; and 2) you can also use the Joy-Cons as mice, although how Nintendo plans to implement this new functionality into the gaming experience remains to be seen. Overall, these are the upgrades that have us the most excited so far.

– There’s one other detail to note regarding the Joy-Cons: there’s a new button! Nintendo has added a mysterious C button to the right Joy-Con (the square button all the way on the bottom). What this button actually does is anyone’s guess but IGN points to speculation that it might have something to do with more intuitive group chat functionality.

– Back in 2017, Nintendo used the then-upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to show off what the original Switch could do. This time around, Nintendo has gone with what seems to be a new Mario Kart game—presumably the long-rumored Mario Kart 9! You may be wondering why Nintendo went two console generations with just one Mario Kart game in the first place, but the answer is actually pretty simple: Mario Kart 8, particularly the Deluxe port for the Switch, sold incredibly well. In fact, it’s the best-selling Nintendo game of all time if you don’t count Wii Sports, which came bundled with the Wii.

– The Switch 2 will allow you to play games on physical cartridges and digitally. As previously reported, it will also feature backwards compatibility, meaning you’ll be able to play most of your Switch library on the new hardware, although Nintendo warns that “certain games may not be supported on or fully compatible with the Switch 2.”

Rumored Nintendo Switch 2 Specs

Of course, there’s a lot we still don’t know about the Switch 2, questions that will hopefully be answered in April as well as at the Nintendo Experience events planned in the Spring and Summer for anxious fans who want to be the first to check out the new console in person. In the meantime, we only have rumors and leaks to go on when it comes to what is actually powering the new Switch console. What specs are we talking here?

Nintendo hasn’t revealed anything on that front, but leaked concept images of the Switch 2 and an alleged specs list released in September (via VGC) could provide some clues. Again, it’s important to note that this is all unconfirmed rumor at the moment, although the leaked images themselves seem to be the real thing after today’s announcement. The leak also correctly stated that the Switch 2 would have an 8-inch display, snap-on controllers, and two USB-C ports.

According to the rumored specs list, the Switch 2 will boast 12 GB of RAM, a major improvement from the 4 GB memory offered by its predecessor, as well as 256 GB internal SSD storage, up from 32 GB in the original Switch.

Separately, Digital Foundry has previously speculated that the console is using a custom NVIDIA processor and a GPU based on the graphics company’s RTX-30 Series cards, which would make the Switch 2 a much more powerful machine than its predecessor. Earlier this month, the outlet also dug up a patent from Nintendo seemingly confirming the Switch 2 will use AI upscaling tech to get games to render up to 4K resolution while keeping game sizes down, similar to the way NVIDIA’s DLSS tech works. Essentially, games with 4K textures are too big to fit into a 32 GB Switch cartridge, but using upscaling technology is a way around that, allowing the Switch 2 to punch above its weight in terms of visuals. There has been lots of speculation around how Nintendo’s take on DLSS will actually work and if it will open the door for even more ambitious games on the new console. Speaking of which…

Rumored Nintendo Switch 2 Games

Technically, there are zero games announced for the Switch 2 at this time, although we’re going to say it’s fairly safe to assume a new Mario Kart game is coming to the console. As far as Mario Kart 9 goes, the big thing teased in the Switch 2 announcement video is that the game will support 24-person races for the first time in the series’ history, up from 12 in previous entries. That should make for an even more chaotic time.

There have been plenty of other games rumored for the Switch 2, including ports of Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Shadows, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Metal Gear Solid Delta. Again, none of these games are confirmed by Nintendo at the moment.

It also seems likely that upcoming first-party Nintendo games, such as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A, will release on both the original Switch and its successor. Both games are currently slated for 2025.

Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date and Price

This is where things get tricky. Nintendo didn’t announce a release date for the Switch 2 in the first promo, instead teasing a more fleshed-out Nintendo Direct event in April. That said, in-person Nintendo Experience events designed to give fans around the world a first look at the new console are scheduled all the way to at least June 1, meaning it’s highly unlikely the Switch 2 will hit shelves before then. In other words, we could be looking well into June or later before Nintendo’s new console actually releases.

Nintendo hasn’t given any indication as to what a Switch 2 will cost when it hits stores later this year. The original Switch launched at a very competitive $299 in the US, while the upgraded Switch OLED model released at $349.

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