Nintendo is announcing Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2: The Next Generation of Game-Theoretical Analogs of the 2004 Nintendo Superconductor (NEWTON)
Perhaps the most glaring omission in the Switch 2 reveal was the fact that Nintendo didn’t say anything about how powerful the new console is. The console is larger, but what is the screen size? Is it OLED or LCD? Is the screen resolution still 720p? Is the resolution supported?
The video showed a Joy-Con attaching to a cover and going around on a surface like a mouse. Is “mouse” functionality one of the Switch 2’s new gimmicks? Is the IR camera still available for games like 1-2-Switch? I also hope that the Switch 2 will still support original Switch peripherals like the Ring Fit Adventure Ring-Con.
Prior to the reveal there was rumors that the Joy-Con could have magnetic Hall effect joysticks that would combat Joy-Con drift. So, what improvements has Nintendo made to protect against drift? Will Nintendo give repairs to the new Joy-Con if they drift? Will it sell new Joy-Cons separately at launch, and do they come in any new colors?
The Nintendo Switch 2: Where is the fun? Where are the bugs? What can we learn from the leaks? What will we learn when the Switch 2 launches?
There’s a new button on the Switch 2 directly below the home button on the right Joy-Con. Does it have anything to do with a new chat function?
Nintendo said in a press release that the handheld would play both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Wii U, but added that some games may not be compatible.
The Wii U did not find an audience and failed to recover from poor sales, but the Nintendo Switch did and it made a lot of money. It was the third best-selling console of all time behind the DS and the PS2 at one point.
Oh, wait, there is one more burning question… what flavors can we expect for the Switch 2 cartridges? I’m hoping for something better than “insecticide.”
Nintendo fans have been having fun with the leaks, ranging from using Tarot card readings to divine the announcement date, to spoofing features like screws and imported Italian air. There are 10 grooves. One user joked that the reveal would be January 10th. Another constructed a “summoning circle” full of old games and Mario and Luigi figurines.
The next-generation Switch will be released into a much different console ecosystem than its predecessor. The handheld Steam Deck allowed people to play more PC games on the go. During this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Microsoft’s VP of next generation stated that there would be updates to the Windows gaming experience. Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer has also alluded to the possibility of a handheld Xbox device.
The announcement doesn’t come as a surprise given that several peripheral makers put replicas of the unrevealed hardware to display, but you might be shocked at how closely the new Switch 2 sticks to form and function.
It’s hard to overstate the impact the Switch has had on the gaming industry since its launch in 2017. It has become one of the best-selling consoles of all time, as of September 2024, with 146.2 million units sold worldwide, and it may overtake the Nintendo DS handheld at the end of its life cycle.
