Nintendo finally took the wraps off of their brand new Switch 2 gaming console at a hands-on event in New York City. Using their Nintendo Direct platform to deliver all the major details like the June 5 release date and $450 price tag as well as a roster of games available on the Switch 2 at launch, the viewing of the pre-taped video was followed by the opportunity to get an in-person look at what’s to come.
The Switch 2 boasts a 7.9” LCD screen that’s noticeably bigger than its predecessor but doesn’t make the console feel any less portable. The joy-con controllers benefit from the extra size with larger buttons and sticks that are more comfortable during intense sessions and don’t abuse thumbs quite as much as the original joy-cons.
In fact, the new joy-cons sometimes don’t require thumbs at all because they can be turned on their side and used as a mouse for pointing and clicking. It’s a surprising new function that was very responsive and opens up a world of possibilities for porting PC games to Nintendo’s handheld. The Switch 2 comes with internal storage of 256gb, a huge upgrade over the paltry 32gb of the original Switch. Like the original, the Switch 2 also features a storage expansion slot but now requires Micro SD Express memory cards to hold the larger Switch 2 game data. These larger files combined with an updated chipset power 1080p/120 fps graphics and can max out at 4K HDR at 60 fps when docked.
The dock, which comes included with the Switch 2, is also slightly larger to accommodate a cooling system and additional ports like ethernet for a more reliable connected experience. Connected experiences do seem to be a theme with the Switch 2 as Nintendo is finally intent on providing a more robust online experience this time around, one that includes a dedicated chat C-button that invokes a system-based chat backbone (as opposed to in-game chat only) and video chat via a wired webcam accessory.
The implementation of video chat into games does seem like a very Nintendo choice, turning player icons into livestreams and leveraging physical motion for gaming controls but the camera accessory itself feels clunky, connecting via wire to a new, extra USB-C port on the top of the Switch 2. Thankfully, it’s the only accessory that suffers from this because the rest of the hardware, including a new Pro-Controller, all feel even more streamlined.
Nintendo console launches are only ever as good as the launch lineup of games that accompany them. The jewel of the Switch 2 launch is Mario Kart World and it’s the best Mario Kart game I’ve ever played. Taking the MK formula and planting it in an open world, everything there is to love about the long legacy of Mario Kart returns but now there are Free Roam and Knockout modes to explore. The former sets gamers loose (with friends) on a huge map that’s bound to be full of easter eggs and photo opps. The latter caused a crowded room of journalists to cheer and jeer as we rally-raced from one end of the map to the other with four players getting knocked out at every checkpoint until a winner was crowned. It’s bonkers, it’s fun and, even in the short time I had with it, it was downright addictive.
Of course a spattering of other first and third-party games are slated for both the Switch 2 launch day and the months to follow. Nintendo’s own Donkey Kong Bananza, an action platformer that boasts a world that was infinitely destructible during my demo, follows quickly on the heels of the Switch 2 launch. Similarly, games like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Mario Party Jamboree, will deliver more familiar Nintendo characters on the Switch 2.
These games and more (including the entirety of Nintendo’s E-store which will now include a Gamecube library) are all in addition to the entirety of original Switch games that can be played on the Switch 2 because of backward compatibility. That holds true both for games owned digitally and on cartridge as the cartridge slot is identical between this generation and last, though Switch 2 cartridges are red, not black. Nintendo will also be enhancing original Switch titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Nintendo obviously anticipates a huge amount of interest in these consoles, in June and through the holidays. In a move to prove their dedication to the fans and to thwart scalpers, anyone intending to buy the Switch 2 can now register interest with Nintendo for pre-orders and Nintendo will qualify priorities based on time spent on the original Switch (must have over 50 hours in the past year) and active membership to the Nintendo Online service. Those chosen will be informed starting on May 8 with waves to follow until demand makes them readily available everywhere.
In the meantime, anyone looking to demo the Switch 2 and its launch lineup firsthand before the June 5 launch can try to nab tickets to Nintendo’s upcoming tour in major cities across the world. Tickets did become available a little while ago but waitlist options are still out there for anyone hopeful of trying out the new hardware themselves.