Yesterday, Nintendo finally revealed something that everyone’s been waiting for: the long awaited Nintendo Switch 2. It’s been nearly a decade since a new console has been announced (not including the OLED) and to many it feels long overdue. While other competitors have released consoles during the last ten years, Nintendo has seemingly jumped back into the game with features that will guarantee to make gaming more fun.
With an extremely long list of games that we won’t get into (trust me when I say it’s long, here is a list of features only that gamers can look forward to with their new system:
- C button. This will bring up the new Chat Menu where you can talk with friends using the mic on the Switch 2 itself
- Screen Sharing. Players can share their screen with friends and chat while playing. You don’t even have to be playing the same game as your friends to use this!
- In addition to screen sharing, you can adjust the screen size or either your own or a friend’s
- Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. Video chat will allow players to face chat with friends as they game together. Again, you don’t have to be playing the same game as your friends. Nintendo Online is required to use video chat but there is a free trial for those who wish to try it out for a limited time
- Game Share. Local play with other people in the same room using Game Share. Only specific games will have this feature
- 7.9 inch screen
- HD display
- 1080p
- 120 FPS
- vivid LCD, HDR support
- Joy-con 2 attach magnetically
- bigger SL/SR buttons
- larger control sticks
- mouse controls using Joy-con 2 (with compatible games)
- improved speakers, clearer audio
- built in mic for easy voice chatting. Even if the room is noisy, the mic will still be able to pick up your voice clearly
- 3D audio gives a sense of space
- new stand, freely adjustable viewing angle
- two USB-C ports (one on top, one on bottom)
- larger, faster storage
- 256 GB of internal storage
- new dock, 4K support
- improved fan ventilation for powerful cooling (built in fan inside the dock)
- plays compatible Nintendo Switch games
- extra storage (works with micro SD express cards)
- regular SD card for Nintendo Switch will not work
- to transfer between Switch and Switch 2, log into your Nintendo account and use the system transfer feature
- Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller
- has C button, GR and GL buttons to assign controls
- audio jack is added
- can play three types of games. Nintendo Switch 2, compatible Switch games and Switch 2 edition (upgraded Switch games that have better visuals, etc)
That’s all well and good, but the biggest concern amongst consumers about this new system is something that is always a concern: the cost. Considering that this is a brand new system, it only makes sense for it to be up there price wise. For Americans, you can expect the Switch 2 to be $449.99 and that’s not the bundle that comes with Mario Party World (that one’s $499). For the rest of us, just convert to your currency and then cry into something. A whole $100 more than its predecessor, it might not seem like a lot of money to most but when your main demographic is supposedly kids, it’s the parents that have to cough up that money. On top of the system price, you have the extras such as Nintendo Online, the face cam, the pro controller. It all adds up at the end of the day. While not all the add-ons are needed such as the face cam, it’s a choice whether or not people want to buy it. Games, however, are a different story.
Games are now a disgusting price. For something that’s the size of an adult thumbnail, they sure are expensive these days. For a digital copy of a game it’ll now cost you $80. Physical? $90. As a Canadian who converted this to CAD, I could honestly cry. In no world should a game cost that much especially when the company they’re under is a multi billion dollar one. But because there are people out there who will defend those prices and still buy the game, Nintendo will never reduce those prices to something reasonable. Again, their main audience are kids. That’s who they try to appeal to. I don’t know a single kid who has $80 to $100 for games every time they want one. Sadly, parents will buy it regardless just to keep them quiet. Hopefully the pressure and criticism from the public will force Nintendo to reconsider their pricing model but that’s some big wishful thinking.
Personally I’m looking forward to the Switch 2. I’m long overdue for a new system and finally setting down the original Switch will feel like a breath of fresh air.
The Nintendo Switch 2 launches June 5, 2025 worldwide.
Fandom Lair 